Bands & Berries
by The Petulant Prodigy
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki has decided to leave his band, Soul Society. What happens when his talent is revealed at a bar? And a teal-haired god with rock star good looks wants him to...! Rated for language and sexual situations. Mostly GrimmIchi & other pairings.
1. Karaoke Karma

**Thanks for checking this out! My first ever Bleach fanfic! Please excuse me if I go a little OOC, but I will try to keep the characters as true as the manga/anime. This idea came to me out of the blue, and I couldn't get it out of my head. LITERALLY I had to come home and type this, so excuse this first chapter if it is awkward and stupid. It doesn't really have a plot, but I'm hoping to work on my skills with character development and I'm attempting to go outside my comfort zone and try to make a slightly humorous "coming of age" story or some romantic comedy bullshit for the yaoi fans (…if any of that made any sense, we're going to get along just fine.)**

**Thanks and good luck! ~PetulantProdigy**

Chapter One:

Ichigo slammed his fist into his band mate's face, his delinquent fighting abilities surfacing in his rage, "You little fuck!"

Ex-best friend Renji Abarai went careening into the wall, his breath making a whooshing sound as it left his body, "Jesus, Ichigo! Chill out!"

"Chill out? Chill out?" Ichigo screamed, front-kicking Renji in the gut before he had a chance to dodge, "you just admitted to **fucking** my **girlfriend** of two years, and you want me to chill out?"

Renji moved away from Ichigo's powerful legs, stumbling to the side before getting into a proper fighting stance to defend himself, "At least I told you! Fuck, Ichigo, we've known each other since diapers. I didn't know how to tell you, it was killing me, man."

"Che, right," Ichigo said, his lip curled in distaste, "grow a conscience after you fuck her, you bastard."

"Dude, we were drunk," Renji whined, trying to reason with his best friend, "Rukia just…I mean, it just happened, and…"

"I don't wanna hear anymore," Ichigo said, putting a hand to his forehead as if to keep himself from exploding, "Get out. Get the fuck out."

"Ichigo, man…"

"Get the **fuck** out of my house," Ichigo warned, his voice deadly, "before I throw you out in pieces."

Renji moved towards the door of the small apartment, his face almost sheepish, "You'll…be at the gig, right?"

Ichigo picked up the nearest object and hurled it at Renji, watching the glass cigarette tray shatter on the door. Renji had moved out the door in time to avoid a deadly accurate hit to the head. Pity.

Ichigo turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, trying to calm himself. He heard the start-up of Renji's motorcycle, then listened to it speed down the narrow alleyway and out of his life.

He would be **damned** if he would ever talk to that bastard again. He whipped out his cell phone, trying to keep his fingers from destroying the keys as he typed in the numbers.

Lead bass guitarist and second-in-command of the band picked up on the second ring, "Yo."

Ichigo steadied his breathing for a moment before speaking, "I'm not comin' tonight."

There was silence. Ichigo was used to Byakuya's quiet and cryptic ways. He barely talked at all, and when he did, Ichigo knew he had thought hard about it before saying it. It was one reason they had not gotten along initially, but over the past three years and forming the band (and not to mention a nice testosterone-filled fight between the two last year) Ichigo could honestly say Byakuya had become like an older brother to him.

"What happened?" Byakuya finally said.

Ichigo sighed deeply, sliding onto his couch feeling defeated, "Renji fucked Rukia."

"I'll kill him," Byakuya said, surprising Ichigo and making goose bumps race down his spine, "Where is he?"

In his moment of drama, Ichigo had kind of forgotten Rukia was Byakuya's sister. They were not very close, but Ichigo knew Byakuya had a natural instinct to protect his younger sister, "Just left my place. I can't do this, Byakuya. Either he leaves the band or I will."

More silence. Sometimes Ichigo wished Byakuya wasn't so monk-like, "Let's get the band together. Meeting. Now."

"No way in hell am I getting anywhere near him," Ichigo muttered, "and neither should you. It's difficult to hide a body in a tiny piss-ass town like Karakura."

"Mm," is all Byakuya said, apparently thinking of ways to get around the discovery of a dead body, "have you talked to Rukia yet?"

The logical and mature Byakuya was back from the bloodlust. Ichigo sighed again, "No. I don't want to."

"You have to."

"I know," Ichigo said, running a hand over the back of his neck, "but I've never hit a chick before, and I don't want to start."

Byakuya sighed, "Ichigo, do whatever you think is right. I'm not going to stop you from staying with or leaving the band. It's a personal decision, and I can't tell you what to do. No matter what happens with Rukia or Renji, I've got your back."

"Thanks man," Ichigo replied, pretty touched. That was probably the longest speech he had ever heard Byakuya make, "I'll call you later, ne? Sorry about tonight."

"Still time to cancel. Don't worry about it."

After a few more minutes of male bonding, Ichigo finally hung up and laid back, staring up at the ceiling. Byakuya had just become his newest trustee, his number one confidant. Fuck Renji. He had a lot to think over, but he needed to speak to Rukia first.

**XXX**

"Is this really making you feel any better?" Toshiro intoned from his place on the bar stool. He had finally bleached his hair an off-white color and had it spiked in every direction, like his head was made of ice. His luminescent blue eyes were like crystals, beautiful but intense. He had run into Ichigo by chance on the street and had agreed to accompany him to the low-key bar. It wasn't a well-known spot, but it was quite popular with the music scene. VIZARD'S was Ichigo's favorite place to drink and forget his troubles, and Toshiro was also a good friend.

"HELL of a lot better," Ichigo slurred, slamming another empty shot glass down on the bar in front of them. He had already plowed through several beers and ten shots of his favorite vodka. He was pleasantly past buzzed, "Fuck Rukia. Fuck Renji. Fuck everybody."

Toshiro sighed, resting his head on a hand, "I had no idea, man. I'm sorry."

"S'alright," Ichigo said, motioning for one of the bartenders to fill him up, "Nothin' to do 'bout it. What's done is done."

To be completely honest, Ichigo had known, deep in his gut, that something had been off for the past few months. They had never actually been lovey-dovey, didn't display affection often. Hell, Ichigo had barely fucked her, and when he did, it was only ever once and he was never left craving more. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how unhappy and dysfunctional they had both been. Obviously Rukia had felt it to or she wouldn't have slept with his fucking best friend.

But enough thinking: the liquor was supposed to prevent that from happening. He held up another shot towards Toshiro, "To the beginning of a new life, Tosh. A new path for this worn-out guitarist."

"So you're really quitting?" Toshiro said after they had both downed the shot.

Ichigo nodded, "Can't do it anymore, man. Just can't do it. You and Byakuya mean a lot to me, but I need to find whatever the hell it is I've been lookin' for."

"Damn," Toshiro said, looking down at his empty shot glass, "So this is it, huh? Goodbye Soul Society?"

Ichigo grinned, suddenly remembering the day Toshiro and he had come up with the band's name, "You guys'll be fine without me. I'm just a guitarist. Easily replaceable."

Toshiro shook his head, "Che, you can play circles around any guitarist in this town, Ichi. I'm going to be traumatized at auditions."

"You'll find somebody," Ichigo said, putting a finger to Toshiro's forehead, "just promise me you'll keep rapin' that drum set, ne? This doesn't mean the end of our friendship, Tosh, just the end of my time with the band."

Toshiro nodded once, not completely happy but willing to understand, "Will you come to a gig if I ask? I mean, I know you won't want to see them…"

"I'll come around," Ichigo promised, starting on a new chilled beer, "Hell, I fuckin' started Soul Society. What kind of man would that make me to run away from it forever?"

"But you **are** leaving."

"Yeah, but it's your future now," Ichigo said, feeling like this was some kind of weird father-son moment. Which was weird, because although Toshiro looked extremely young, he was actually older, "I wanna see Soul Society make it to the Kanonji Fest finals. Promise?"

"Yeah," Toshiro replied, his eyes lighting up at the thought of the prestigious band competition, "I promise."

"Good," Ichigo said, finishing off the beer in one final swig and slamming the empty bottle down in front of him, "and tell that fucker Renji for me…I'll see him there too."

**XXX**

The teal-haired punk had needed to get away for a while, but he hadn't expected his manager to follow him like a poorly-trained spy. He pulled up his gray hoodie to shield the public from his intense hair, his cerulean blue eyes piercing. He would have covered those too, but sunglasses at night were better left in songs and would make people think he was some kind of creep or pervert.

He hadn't really planned on coming to a bar, but it was in a quieter part of town, and his feet had carried him to the threshold as if it promised great treasures. He had been walking for several blocks after getting out of the Jaguar his manager had tried to push on him for his 21st birthday, but he knew better. He knew that it was really a bribe to make him give in and agree to do the tour in America. His band had not reacted negatively or positively to it, and he didn't feel as if the band needed that extra boost in ego at the moment. He just wanted them to focus on what they had created the band for: fucking amazing music.

Being lead singer and screamer was taxing, not to mention he was the leader of the band, had started it all after getting together with his long-time buddy and finding a few rough gems through auditions and trial gigs. The band had taken off after a good year and a half of doubt, but the hard work and waiting had paid off.

But tonight, he was agitated and annoyed: two things that made him want to settle in the corner of some cozy bar and have a few drinks, "Still fuckin' following me."

"This is a bad idea," his manager, a Mr. Sousuke Aizen, intoned from behind, "There's no crowd control here. Besides, there are far more…cleaner…places to relax."

"Get lost," he replied, his famous temper flaring, "Give me a few hours of freedom. We've been working like dogs. Why don't you go stalk Nnoitra?"

"Nnoitra's being a good boy and staying in his hotel suite."

He snorted, "How many strippers did you have to order for the room?"

Aizen's brows knit together momentarily, like he might become pissed off, "That's besides the point. The rest of the band is content at the moment, and I don't need my prized member masquerading around a town full of screaming fan girls."

He sighed, stepping away from Aizen with his hand on one of the bar doors, "It's after midnight. I'm at a bar. Not thinkin' there's many fans with their school skirts in a twist. Fuck off."

And with that, Grimmjow Jaugerjaques entered VIZARD's.

**XXX**

Ichigo was laughing, his arm around the neck of some random older guy that had joined in Toshiro and Ichigo's conversation earlier, "I love you, man! You're hysterical!"

They all continued to laugh for a moment, the guy named Ganju holding up a huge mug, "Karaoke! Karaoke!"

The chant continued down several tables until the whole place was clapping and one of the workers finally went over to the corner and hooked up the system. A few cheers passed around and a splatter of applause and a few drunk and sober people made their way over to the machine, picking out their selections and belting them at the tops of their lungs, some Japanese songs and some American.

"Hit me baby one more time!" Ganju belted about a half hour later, his turn up. A few cheers and boos from the crowd didn't deter him from his rendition of Brittney Spears as he shook his ass for the crowd a moment and then was pushed out of the way by a hooker-ish emo girl with huge black hair and thick eye makeup. She was some kind of mutant ballerina. After her performance, the room was expectant, waiting.

"Go, Ichigo!" Toshiro commanded, shaking Ichigo, "Get up there!"

"Nahhh," Ichigo drawled, afraid he wouldn't even be able to balance correctly to walk, "No wayyyyyy…"

Ganju went along with it, taking the mic again, "Next up's a little berry, born and raised right here in Karakura! He's a lean, mean, screamin' machine! Give it up for Ichigo Kurosaki of Soul Society!"

A few of the younger people, the ones who would have recognized the local band, actually got a bit excited and the room was soon chanting his name.

"Dammit," Ichigo chuckled, making his way across the room and grabbing the mic. The room erupted in whistles and applause, waiting for his performance.

He stood up straight, staring at the small screen. Fuck, there was no way in hell he could focus on that. The words were microscopic kanji, and with his inebriated state, he was lucky he could even see the screen. Toshiro came over and helped him select a familiar English song, one that actually explained a lot about how he was feeling.

The track began, making Ichigo sway his hips side to side as he began to feel the music, momentarily forgetting how drunk he was and actually anticipating the words.

"Dead star shine, light up the **sky**…I'm all out of **breath**, my walls are closing **in**…"

The room was silent as he continued, his eyes closed, his voice rising and falling, guttural and sensual at the same time. Renji had been lead singer of the band, but Ichigo had always enjoyed singing and was complimented frequently.

He continued:

"I can feel you falling **away**…No longer the **lost**, no longer the **same**, and I can see you starting to **break**…I'll keep you alive, if you show me the way…Forever, and ever, the scars will **remain**…"

At the height of the chorus, Ichigo opened his eyes to the cheers and whoops of the crowd. A few people were standing, swaying to the song, actually holding up their cell phones in tribute. Karaoke had turned into a mini concert.

Ichigo moved around, his eyes connecting with several in the crowd. He finished off strongly, catching a mesmerizingly-deep set of hard blue eyes in the final words, "I'm falling apart, leave me here forever in the dark."

The crowd exploded in applause and calls for an encore. Ichigo felt himself blushing: he was still staring at that pair of amazing blue eyes, which belonged to an equally attractive strong-boned face. Although he couldn't see everything the guy was offering, Ichigo felt his heart accelerate, his pulse singing as alcohol continued to course through his veins.

The eyes seemed to laugh at him, a grin on the stranger's face as he stared back, not intimidated the least bit. Ichigo could already tell this guy in the gray hoodie was a man that didn't easily back down.

Ichigo finally looked away, making his way off the small stage and into the laughter and catcalls.

**XXX**

Grimmjow watched the scrumptious strawberry get pulled into a corner with friends and strangers alike, many of them offering to buy him a drink if he promised to sing again. Since he had seen the berry get on stage, he hadn't managed to take his eyes off of him. He was tall and lean, but there was nothing puny about him. His natural head of red hair was appealing and different, spiky and edgy. His tight jeans and vintage tee unmistakably hot.

Grimmjow sat at the bar now, waiting for his tequila. This was strictly business, he reasoned, downing the shot as soon as the bartender offered it to him. He had several more before he had completely convinced himself that he had to have the strawberry. He was perfect, just the sound the band needed. Grimmjow had been uninspired lately, thinking their music needed a shift in tone or range. Of course Grimmjow loved what he did, but it wouldn't hurt to have another singer in the band, especially if said-singer was smokin' hot.

No, he couldn't let this opportunity pass him up.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Grimmjow thought allowed, taking another shot.

Yeah, the berry definitely had what it took to be an Espada.

**Wooo!** **I hope this wasn't too disappointing. It gets better, I swear! PLEASE REVIEW!** [f.y.i the song Ichigo sings is "Give me a Sign" by Breaking Benjamin] ;)


	2. Morning After

Chapter Two:

Ichigo was completely unaware of the time of morning. Or was it still night? There had been a few more rounds of karaoke, but most of the bar had cleared out. Toshiro had left him over an hour ago, claiming he had an early morning college class. Ichigo, still a senior in high school, had laughed and let him go on his way, knowing he would definitely not be attending school that morning. Since he had started renting the apartment and didn't have to answer to his goat-faced father, he skipped occasionally.

"Alright, Ichi," Shinji, the co-owner and bartender of the joint said, wiping the table down that Ichigo had previously covered with empty bottles and glasses, "Time to pack up now."

"Aw, come on, Shinji!" Ichigo whined, hooking his arms around one of Shinji's, "Be a pal, won'tya?"

"You're plastered," Shinji said, pushing Ichigo back into the chair while he laughed to himself, "You need a ride home?"

"Nah, I'm all good," Ichigo replied, running a hand through his hair, "I'm…more than good."

Ichigo was as drunk as a skunk, but the betrayal was still playing like a record in the back of his brain. He was still extremely upset with both Rukia and Renji, but he would get over it. He would work it out. He had to. He would move on, join another band, or hell, start a new one. He had started one, why not another?

Ichigo shoved all the yen he had into Shinji's hands, standing up shakily from the table, "I'll see ya soon, Shinji."

"Be careful, Ichi," Shinji called, watching his customer and friend leave the bar.

Ichigo trekked along a back alley, the shortest distance between the bar and his apartment. He kicked a few stray bottles, pulling his jacket up around him, suddenly cold. It was the middle of October, but already there was a chill announcing winter's approach. He hurried along, hands in his pockets. Three blocks later, he felt his emotions get the best of him, and stopped, bending down in the alleyway and bawling his eyes out. He only got emotional when he was drunk, and now was no different. Ichigo's cycle had come full circle: he was usually a happy drunk, but he occasionally got weepy and acted like a needy bitch.

"Fuck you," Ichigo sniffed, picturing Rukia's smile and Renji's crooked grin, "I don't need you. I don't want you. Fuck both of you!"

He hadn't realized how drunk he was until that moment, his legs became rubber, his eyes heavy. He was crashing, and fast. He had to make it home, but he didn't think he could stand up again without vomiting.

Shit, that had been a bad idea. Maybe he should have taken Shinji up on his offer.

He closed his eyes for a moment, or what seemed like a moment when he heard footsteps approaching. He cracked an eyelid open, staring at the stranger who was standing over him, "You okay, kid?"

Ichigo's bipolar drinking switched gears, going from depressed to pissed off in record time, "I'm _not_ a kid, asshole."

The tall stranger grinned, a grin that looked awfully familiar…

"Ohhhhh," Ichigo said, pointing a finger up at him, his voice slurred, "I know you. From the bar."

"I guess so. Although we never spoke."

Ichigo sat up slowly, craning his neck up to stare at the stranger and blurted, "You have…the most gorgeous eyes…I've ever seen."

Hoodie stared at him, his blue eyes intense, the grin nearly eating his face, "You think so?"

Ichigo nodded, deciding that made him dizzy, "I _know_ so."

Grimmjow knelt down next to Ichigo on his knees, studying the red over Ichigo's cheeks in his drunken stupor. It was ridiculously cute, "Then, thanks, I guess."

"I can't _see_ you," Ichigo complained, pulling at his hoodie.

Grimmjow let the drunken berry pull it back, listening to drunken giggles. He hadn't expected any less.

"You have blue hair."

Grimmjow thought that was brilliant, "It's natural. Like yours."

"Blue?" Ichigo tried to think hard, but stopped because it hurt too much. He remembered hearing about someone with natural blue hair, seen it somewhere on a poster or something, "I think I know somebody who's blue…"

"You're drunk," Grimmjow stated, watching Ichigo's face for a reaction.

"You're a fuckin' genius," Ichigo scoffed, waving his hand in front of Grimmjow's face, "It's been nice chattin', but I gotta go now."

Grimmjow sighed, "I was hoping you would be a lil' more coherent than this, but I guess I can talk to you later once you've sobered up."

Ichigo giggled maniacally as Grimmjow helped him stand up, allowing the berry to cling to his side as he laughed and he stumbled a few times. Apparently the berry found this all extremely entertaining, "Don't step on the cracks, you'll break my mama's back!"

Grimmjow dragged him down the alley, veering off left to get back in a familiar area, "Where do you live, kid?"

"Uhhhhn," Ichigo said, leaning heavier on Grimmjow then pushing away violently as he pulled away to gag. Grimmjow waited patiently for the dry-heaving to end; fortunately for him, he didn't have to deal with throw up, unfortunately for Ichigo, the alcohol still teamed in his stomach and he would have to deal with it later. Ichigo crawled off a bit before managing to stand again, and Grimmjow supported him again before he hit the concrete.

The kid was so drunk he couldn't even make out the garble of his address.

"Fuck this," Grimmjow said, taking out his cell phone and calling a taxi service. He couldn't just leave the kid in the streets: he would just have to take him back to the hotel with him for now. Let him sleep it off, and when he was nice and cranky and had a killer hangover headache, Grimmjow could dish the details on business.

Hopefully his kind, heroic actions would rub off on the berry and get him to join their band. If not, he would just have to find another way to get Ichigo to join. He needed him. Bad.

About half an hour later, the taxi pulled up in front of the massive grand hotel, leaving Grimmjow the duty of towing Ichigo to his suite. Grimmjow had never been so happy to see the glossy black 6 on the door of the suite as he pushed it open and helped a nearly comatose Ichigo to the couch.

Ichigo made a loud "oof"ing noise as he hit the cushions, his eyes glossy, his face still partially red. He flung his hands over his head, his shirt riding up his stomach halfway, his legs spread provocatively.

Grimmjow swallowed. Fuck, he had better be careful…

"You can crash here for the night. Sleep it off," Grimmjow said, making his way across the room to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and set it on the coffee table near Ichigo, "We'll talk in the morning."

"Bout what?" Ichigo mumbled, trying to get comfortable on the couch, "S'not like we got anything to talk 'bout."

"Your voice, for starters," Grimmjow said, trying not to stare at the berry's body for too many seconds at a time.

Ichigo chuckled, putting an arm over his eyes, "I don't sing. Just for fun…"

"Even so, I'd like you to consider my offer."

"What? You own a karaoke bar?"

Grimmjow snorted: hardly. That was a funny picture, "I want you to join my band."

Ichigo sat up, turning to look at Grimmjow full-on, his face scrunched up in confusion, "Band?"

"I want you to join Espada," Grimmjow said, not seeing the point in waiting if he was that perky at the mention of music, "you've got talent. I heard you're in Soul Society, so I know there's no chance in hell, but if you want money we can…"

Ichigo's laughter began to build and build, until Grimmjow was about ready to knock the punk out. What was so damn funny? Grimmjow waited until he had calmed down, "Wow, one fuckin' day and I already got a new band, huh? And Espada? The number one band in the country right now, huh? You fuckin' shittin' me? That's a sick joke, man. Fuckin' sick. Haha, what luck."

Grimmjow sat on the couch next to Ichigo, making sure he was processing the kid's words correctly. He had heard correctly, right? The berry had quit Soul Society? Grimmjow was surprised that Ichigo was so vehemently denying the possibility of Espada. Yeah, their debut album had sold millions of copies, their faces soon plastered on posters all over the cities of Japan. Actually, not anymore, considering crazy-ass fans had begun tearing down the posters and taking them home for themselves. Their music videos were number one on the top 40 for the past three months straight, and yes, they even had fan clubs and possessed stalkers and annoying groupies. Not to mention there were more disturbing fandoms, such as fanfictions involving the band members in promiscuous activities that were either hilarious or frightening.

But Grimmjow was serious; he could be an asshole, but he wasn't a liar, "You quit Soul Society? Perfect. Lemme talk to Aizen and we'll work out a day in the recording studio to show the others…"

Ichigo's head suddenly fell on Grimmjow's shoulder, surprising him into silence. Grimmjow stared in what was stupid fascination as the berry just lay there, a bit of drool beginning to accumulate on his lip.

Grimmjow sighed: yeah, this was the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

**XXX**

Ichigo moaned, rolling over and burying his head in the pillow, trying to get comfortable. His eyelids felt a source of light, but he wasn't ready to wake up yet. He tried to remember the past twenty-four hours but was coming up blank. Oh wait, Rukia. And Renji. Definitely kicking Renji and threatening to kill him. And then…drinking? Maybe he should call Toshiro when he was more coherent.

He began mumbling to himself as he buried deeper into the covers, spooning against something solid and warm. Not really comprehending, Ichigo felt himself grind against the giant rock pillow slowly, sighing contentedly as he tried to drift back to sleep.

He'd figure out where he was when he could wake up properly…

"The fuck you doin'?" came a husky voice.

Ichigo's eyes opened lazily, assaulted by a pair of clear dark blue ones. For a moment all Ichigo could do was stare, but then he stiffened and realized he was holding onto this stranger and not only that, he had been grinding his morning wood all over the man's hip, "Wh…Wha?"

Ichigo was lost somewhere between screaming and hitting the stranger or continuing to stare at his perfection. God _damn_, this guy looked like an Adonis. Not only was his face perfect, what Ichigo could feel under his fingertips that were splayed across the stranger's chest was also appealing. He felt heat shoot through his body and sucked in a breath, surprised at the reaction. He was _not_ gay. He pulled back sharply, nearly stumbling out of the bed, "What the _fuck_!"

The blue-eyed, blue-haired stranger sat up lazily, scratching the back of his head, his hair standing up at messy but sexy angles, "Jesus, s'not my fault you're a cuddle monster. You were pawin' all over me. You got stuffed animals you sleep with or somethin'?"

"NO!" Ichigo shot back defensively, although that wasn't entirely true. He would never admit to anybody that he still slept with his favorite stuffed animal, a little golden lion his mother had given him before she passed away he had named Kon, "Where the fuck am I? And, wha…who the fuck are you?"

"You don't remember anything?" he said, sighing as he got out the other side of the bed, giving Ichigo a better vision of the man's incredibly attractive body. Ichigo felt his jaw hit the floor: if the man hadn't been wearing a pair of dark blue boxers, Ichigo didn't know how he would have reacted. He tried to cover up his fascination with a look of annoyance, then dread.

Ichigo's eyes were wide, his mouth open in a small "O" of horror, "Did we…I mean, I didn't…we didn't…!"

Grimmjow grinned, making Ichigo's heart skip a beat, "What do you mean, Ichi?"

Ichigo's head was beginning to clear, but he still had no idea how he had ended up here in what appeared to be a fairly swanky hotel room, "We…didn't…mess _around_ or anything, right?"

"You mean fuck?" Grimmjow said, not one to tread lightly.

Ichigo nodded slowly, his eyes afraid. He didn't feel any different, didn't feel sore or angry or happy over sex. He looked down, realizing he was wearing nothing but his white and red strawberry boxers and felt himself blushing.

Grimmjow tried not to lick his lips at the sight of the berry blushing, looking so self-conscious in those ironic boxers. He was slightly sadistic, so he couldn't help teasing the berry, "Did you want to?"

Ichigo looked at him, instantly indignant, "Fuck you."

And with that, Ichigo picked up his jeans which had miraculously somehow made their way to the floor and began putting them on, his back turned to the blue-haired wonder.

Grimmjow sighed, "No, nothin' happened. You were piss-ass drunk last night, so I tried to take ya home. You were totally out of it, so I called a cab. This is my hotel room for the time being. Thought you'd be a little more grateful."

"But…the same bed. What the fuck, you some kind of pervert?"

Grimmjow laughed, unable to be offended, "You crashed out on the couch, then woke up a little later demanding you should get the bed 'cuz you were a guest. I told you to fuck off and sleep on the couch, but you just started takin' your fuckin' clothes off and got in bed anyway, telling me that I could go fuck myself."

Ichigo's eyebrows were drawn together in confusion, obviously soon deciding that the scenario was plausible, "Shit."

Grimmjow sighed, running his hand absently through his thick hair again, a habit of sorts, "But you're sober now, so we can continue last night's conversation."

Ichigo waited, finally having zipped up the tight jeans and staring at the cerulean stranger, "What conversation? I remember you from the bar now…you were kind of a creeper with that hoodie."

Grimmjow was elated inside: so he at least remembered who he was, "I want you to join my band."

Ichigo stared at him, his eyes shifting around the room, like he needed something to settle on, "How you know about that?"

"You told me. You quit Soul Society, neh? I heard you sing at the bar: we could use that sound. Join Espada," Grimmjow finished, waiting.

Ichigo's eyes were suddenly the size of dinner plates, "Holy _fuck_! What the…you're…you're…"

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," Grimmjow waited again, slightly annoyed. He had kind of enjoyed having the berry being oblivious to his fame. But it seemed that was over now. Ichigo was clawing through his hair, his eyes wild, like he was expecting to wake up from a dream any moment.

"No shit…" Ichigo said, staring at Grimmjow again, "Fuck, what are you doin' in Karakura? Your tour dates aren't even within a hundred miles of…"

Grimmjow felt his pulse quicken: for some reason, knowing Ichigo was such a fan was pleasing to him. He didn't know why it had taken the kid this long to realize who he was, but now that he knew, he was hoping the berry would run to the Espada like a lifeline, "So you in or what? We have a rehearsal tomorrow. The band can check out your stuff, and I'll talk to Aizen, and we'll work out the contracts…"

"Whoa, hold on," Ichigo said, holding a hand out in front of him like he was a crossing guard, "You've got to be shittin' me. There's no way the best band in the country is asking me this right now. You're fuckin' Grimmjow! You're like...a god."

Grimmjow offered a lop-sided grin, thankful for the compliment, "Thanks. But this isn't a joke. I'm very serious about you joining us. We could use you. You have the sound I'm lookin' for…"

Ichigo sat back down on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands now, still caught up in a stream of emotions Grimmjow couldn't make sense of, "No one will fuckin' believe me. I did quit Soul Society, but…"

"I don't care why you did or didn't," Grimmjow said, not really caring about the berry's past, "but the offer's there if you're willing to take it."

"I gotta…think about this," he said, rubbing his hands over his face, "I need some time. This doesn't make any sense."

Grimmjow could understand: I mean, it was a very random time and a demanding question. Of course, Grimmjow wasn't one to let something get away from him that he wanted. And he wanted the berry: wanted his voice and his body.

But that would have to come later. Apparently Ichigo was in denial of his "persuasion." Grimmjow grinned at the thought of wooing the berry just as there was a knocking on the suite door.

"Hold on," he mumbled, leaving the bedroom and making his way to the front. He pulled the door open, not caring that he was only in his boxers looking like a sex god advertising underwear, "What's up?"

His band mate and long-time friend Ulquiorra stared at him, his face set in that eternal emotionless stare, "I called you earlier, but you never picked up. It's almost three."

Grimmjow sighed: he had totally forgotten about the meeting with Yoruichi Entertainment, "Shit. Alright, I'll be ready in a minute, just let me…"

Ulquiorra's eyes flickered to movement behind him and Grimmjow groaned internally. Ulquiorra wasn't one to pry into people's private lives, and there was nothing Grimmjow wouldn't tell him, but now there had to be a dozen different speculations going through the green-eyed rock star's head about the berry standing somewhere behind him.

"I'm leaving," Ichigo said, clearly unaware of the awkwardness of the situation, "Thanks for helpin' me last night. See ya."

"Wait," Grimmjow said, grabbing his elbow as he tried to make it out the doorway, "at least give me your cell phone number so I can contact you."

Ichigo's face was unreadable, than he blurted the number quickly and sped off down the hallway, his hands in his pockets.

Grimmjow recited the number over and over again in his head, then pushed back into the room and found a piece of hotel stationary and scribbled it down quickly.

Ulquiorra came in behind him, closing the door with a soft click, "Well, weren't we busy last night."

"Shut up, it's not what'ya think," Grimmjow said, making his way to the bedroom.

Ulquiorra followed silently behind him, his green eyes questioning, "So what did you _help him with_ last night, then?"

"I gave him a place to crash, asshole," Grimmjow shot back, dragging on a pair of dark designer jeans, "Met him at a bar. He's it, Schif: I've found us another voice."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened a little, "Really? That strawberry's got it?"

Grimmjow nodded as he threw clothes around, digging through another suitcase for an appropriate shirt for the meeting. He finally pulled out a white v-neck, "And I only heard him when he was drunk. Imagine him straight-laced and business-like."

Ulquiorra crossed his arms over his chest, "Something tells me you don't want him _straight_-laced, Grimm."

Grimmjow chuckled, pulling the shirt over his chest and grabbing a studded black belt, "You know I enjoy a challenge, Schif."

**I'm sorry I made that so fluffy. I was in a fluffy kind of mood. And, I'm sorry, but let's be realistic: if Grimm and Ichigo had gotten to the hotel and did the nasty, you'd lose all respect for me as a writer because there has been absolutely no development between the two yet. And you know, they would both regret it in the morning, especially Ichigo, and we can't have him beating himself up yet, can we? **

**AND HOORAY FOR CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE! HAHA Ulquiorra was probably thinking dirty things when he saw Ichigo! xD**

**I was so excited to introduce more members of the band, so I gave Ulqui a cameo. And, in case you're wondering, they all have nicknames for each other, and Schiffer is Ulquiorra's last name, and I like how Schif sounds. Rolls off the tongue xD (And sorry he's OOC. I just wanted him and Grimm to be buddies…) Forgive me! **

…That's my story and I'm sticking to it! And sorry Grimm was so OOC…a little too nice, I think. I just couldn't make him as snickety or malicious as I like. He's so peaceful right now it's disgusting, but his true personality will come out in the next chapters! **You know what Grimmjow wants, he gets!** xD :D

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. So Not a Date

**A special thank you to all of my reviewers. This story is picking up a lot in my head so I am looking forward to your responses. Please enjoy!**

**p.s: there is slight Orihime bashing, even though I'm a fan of her boobies :D**

Chapter Three:

Ichigo sighed into his pillow, clutching Kon close to his chest, trying to make sense of the past twenty-four hours. He had called Toshiro on his way home from the hotel, making sure he had remembered things correctly.

Toshiro had asked him if he was all right, and Ichigo had said he was fine, just majorly hung over and lounging in bed. Toshiro hadn't become concerned, and they had hung up a few minutes later.

So here Ichigo lay, moping and distracted, trying to keep the vision of a half-naked Grimmjow Jeagerjaques out of his head. He had already beaten off twice thinking about him, which was scary enough in itself.

"I'm not gay," Ichigo mumbled to himself, squeezing Kon until he squeaked, "I'm not gay I'm not gay I'm not gay…"

It was adoration. Yeah, that was it. Ichigo rolled over on the futon until he was facing the other wall of his bedroom and stared at the dozen posters he had hanging there. His eyes quickly pin-pointed the one poster that was bothering him, quickly forgetting the others as he stared at it.

It wasn't even his biggest poster, but it was probably his second-favorite band of all time. Espada stared back at him from the wall, the edges tacked into place. All the members wore black and white, looking fierce, hardcore, and sexy. He felt the blood rush to his head as he settled his eyes on the lead singer and screamer, the cerulean eyes seeming to be dead-locked on his own. He was sitting on a couch lounging, his arms to the sides, his posture relaxed but threatening at the same time. The guy oozed confidence and sex appeal without even trying, the other members orbited around him like he was the center of gravity.

Ichigo shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. It didn't matter anyway: even if he wanted to join Espada, he had really fucked up this morning/afternoon in showing it. He had tried to process Grimmjow's information at the hotel, but it had all been overwhelming. So, he had panicked. He had run away, something Ichigo would be kicking himself over for the next seventy or eighty years.

Ichigo grunted as he punched his pillow a few times, abandoning Kon to fall on the wood floor of his tiny bedroom, "Shit."

After another hour and a half of self-loathing, Ichigo made his way to the shower and washed up. He felt a little better after cleaning himself up and picking out an outfit, pulling on his scuffed black Converse at the same moment his cell phone began ringing.

He picked it up, checking the caller. The number was unrecognized.

A lump caught in his throat, which was ridiculous. Ichigo Kurosaki was not a pussy! What was he afraid of? If it was Grimmjow, he had every right to take this offer seriously. And, to top it off, shove this whole event so far up Renji's ass it brushed his tonsils.

He let it ring a few more times before answering, "Hello?"

"Yo."

Ichigo felt his dick stir at the sound of Grimmjow's voice, which was also ridiculous. He took a deep breath, standing up and pacing his room, "Didn't think you'd remember the number."

"I have a good memory," Grimmjow replied, "You busy?"

Ichigo looked at the bright orange alarm clock by his bedside, realizing it was nearly nine p.m. He hadn't done anything since the hotel escapade but nap and take a few pills for a headache, "Nah, just about to grab somethin' to eat."

"Wanna meet up? My treat."

Now why did that sound like a date? Wait, maybe it hadn't sounded like a date. Maybe Ichigo was just hearing that, hoping…hoping what? Ichigo chastised himself internally, telling himself to get a grip. This was like…a business meeting. Grimmjow was all business, nothing more.

Right? Ichigo knew he was blushing, thankful Grimmjow couldn't see him through the phone, "Uh, where?"

"How 'bout Tesla's? I heard its good."

Ichigo thought about it. It was about a fifteen-minute walk from his apartment, in a decent part of town. It was a cozy place, not a place constantly swarmed with people. And besides, they had mean-ass burgers and amazing milkshakes, "Yeah, sounds good. When?"

'Chill out, idiot,' Ichigo thought. 'Stop sounding so eager!'

"How about now?" Grimmjow challenged, "I can be there in twenty."

"Sure," Ichigo heard himself saying, feeling light-headed, "okay. Right. I'll see ya there. Good…"

_Earth to Ichigo: SHUT THE FUCK UP!_

Ichigo tried not to jump out of his two-story window as he listened to Grimmjow chuckle, "Alright, Ichi. See ya soon."

Click.

"ARGH!" Ichigo raged, throwing his phone at the bed and trying not to pull his hair, "Keep it together, baka! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

After a moment of composure, Ichigo grabbed his wallet and keys, pocketing his abused cell phone. He checked himself out in the full-length mirror by the front door, making sure he looked alright. He was wearing his favorite pair of bleached jeans (HAHAHA, GET IT? BLEACH? XD) a stud belt, and a black collared shirt with, of course, his favorite black Converse. Ichigo was not a vain person, but he had to admit he looked damn good for having shopped in the bargain bins at the nearest outlet mall.

He ruffled his hair, wondering if it looked okay. He didn't have time to style it how he usually did, but he guessed it was worthy of the public…

Ichigo stopped, frowning at himself, "What the FUCK?"

Ichigo almost punched the mirror, but decided that he was too lazy to clean up the mess and slammed the door to his apartment instead, locking it behind him.

No, Ichigo Kurosaki was not the kind of guy to ogle himself in front of a mirror, especially if he was on his way to dinner with a friend. Or an acquaintance. Or hell, let's face it, a complete stranger.

He was actin' like a fuckin' _chick_.

"Shit," Ichigo groaned, taking the stairs to the main floor two at a time. Before he hit the lobby, he had still not managed to convince himself this wasn't a date.

**XXX**

Tesla's wasn't busy but it wasn't slow, even for the late hour. Most restaurants in the area closed around ten, but Tesla's boasted midnight. So they had time.

So why did that frighten him? Ichigo pulled on the glass front door to enter the diner, his head swiveling around to survey the semi-small restaurant. He saw the bright blue hair almost instantly in a corner booth, his grin inviting.

Ichigo walked at a normal pace, trying to keep himself from running over. Why was he so eager? He was nervous; he had never been this nervous, not even at his first job interview.

But that was why he was nervous, right? Because this was business? This meant fame, fortune, and…happiness?

Not a relationship. Definitely not. This was NOT a date.

"Hey," Grimmjow said as Ichigo slid into the other side of the booth, "Long time no see."

"I guess," Ichigo mumbled, picking up the menu and staring at it intensely as if he were studying for an exam.

"So did'ya think about it?" Grimmjow said, his elbows on the table as he sat forward, his face composed, "I'm sure ya need more time, but…I can't help it. I'm not one to sit around and wait. I'm not a patient person: it goes against my nature."

Ichigo grinned despite himself, "And what is your nature, Mr. Jeagerjaques?"

'Fuck,' Grimmjow thought, trying not to salivate. The kid had such a sexy voice it was hard for him to think straight, "Rough. I know this is business, but I'm not really a business kinda guy. I just want to make good music for the rest of my life. Period. And at the moment, you're free from your ex-band's responsibilities, and…shit, you gotta at least give it a try before ya say no."

"Who said anything about me saying no?" Ichigo challenged, setting the menu down just as a waitress approached them and asked them what they would like to drink.

"Sprite, please," Ichigo said.

"Coke. Extra ice," Grimmjow said as both bishies ignored the panting waitress.

"I'll be right back," she promised, hurrying off to the kitchen to spill on the luck of her day.

"Sprite," Grimmjow taunted, grinning, "So ya learned your lesson last night, ne?"

"I heard its good for hangovers," Ichigo replied, smiling slightly and settling back in the booth seat to be more comfortable, "hearing you order a Coke is like you're an old man at your favorite bar."

"That's how I roll," Grimmjow said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ichigo laughed at that. They chatted about random things for the next twenty minutes, mostly about music. Grimmjow never mentioned Espada again, and Ichigo wondered if that was a good or a bad sign. Probably good. Maybe Ichigo had given him enough hope. Or vice versa. Ichigo still didn't get it, but he was excited about the opportunity. If this was a dream, Ichigo didn't want to wake up.

About half an hour later they were digging into their dinners when they heard a high-pitched squeal.

"OH MY GOD!" a brunette teenage girl cried, coming over to their booth, her hands over her gigantic bosom, "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques! Oh oh, I'm you're biggest fan! I'm actually here handing out flyers to promote the new fan club I just started at my high school. I'm the president and founder, Orihime Inoue but you can call me whatever you want it's such an honor…"

"Whoa," Grimmjow said, reaching out and tapping her on the forehead with his pointer finger. She stopped talking, frozen, "Chill out and slow down."

As soon as Grimmjow pulled back his finger, the girl started squealing again, drawing more attention from customers than was necessary, "Ahhhh! He touched me! He touched me he touched me he touched ME…!"

Ichigo didn't know whether to keep staring at her as if she were an alien or laugh. Grimmjow sighed, throwing down a few large yen bills and standing up from the table, "Let's get outta here, Ichi."

Ichigo nodded, following Grimmjow dumbly out of the restaurant as the crazy fan girl followed after them. A few of the other customers had stood up and were staring, obviously debating whether to follow after them or be proper fans and just leave him the hell alone.

When they reached the parking lot, Grimmjow pulled out his keys, motioning for Ichigo to hop in the passenger side. Ichigo just stared at the sleek black Jaguar, wide-eyed.

"Get in," Grimmjow said, escaping the fan girl by effectively closing the door in her face.

"Wait!" she complained, putting her hand on the driver's window, "you have to talk to meeeeeeee…!"

Ichigo hopped in, shooting the girl an apologetic look. It was just too sad to watch anymore.

Grimmjow pulled out of the parking lot quickly, Ichigo watching the girl from his rearview mirror. So sad. So very, very sad.

"You have to deal with that all the time?" Ichigo murmured, staring ahead at the streetlights as they zoomed by.

Grimmjow sighed, "Comes with the territory. Some nice, some nuts."

Ichigo looked at him, the realization really hitting him this time. He was in a car alone with one of the hottest musicians in Japan. This was a once in a lifetime kinda thing, and Ichigo was still debating whether this was a date or not. If it was a date, it had just been ruined by a crazy fan girl.

"Sorry. We didn't even get to finish our food," Grimmjow apologized, driving with one hand, "if you're still hungry we can grab somethin' else. Maybe take-out."

Ichigo smiled, distracting Grimmjow from the road for a few seconds.

Grimmjow was sure he had cum in his pants when he heard Ichigo's suggestion:

"You up for dessert?"

**What a crappy cliffy! xD **

**Sorry about that, but it's getting really late and I must get some sleep, so please review and to any Orihime fans out there, that was simply for kicks and giggles! It was extremely OOC but for some reason I could just picture the busty-chick going super-fan-girl for all us fan girls that wished we could have been in the diner! **

**And I know: if Espada is such a famous band, you'd think bodyguards and security and all that, but this is MY fanfiction and Grimmjow is a bad ass that can take care of himself! :D**

**And I'm wonderin' if the desert is Strawberries & Cream? Heh heh I'll update soon ;)**


	4. Games and Mind Games

I was so happy with the reviews I had to run and write this. It's really short but I wanted to continue the story. I actually thought of a PLOT today! So be happy there's actually going to be a plot! xD

**Warning: A Creepy Shopkeeper and Smutty Ideas ahead ;3**

**Now, where were we? Ah, dessert…**

Chapter Four:

"Oh my God," Ichigo moaned, "this is so good."

Grimmjow thought his eyes might role into the back of his head from the sensation, his body on sensory-overload, "Jesus, Ichi, this is fuckin' amazing."

They both sat in the small sweets shop across from each other, each attacking a specialty ice cream dish called the Seretei Slammer. Chocolate, nuts, caramel, strawberry, and a variety of other delicious flavors combined to give the taster an orgasm in their mouths. It was even topped with homemade whipped cream, peanuts, and a cherry.

"How's everything?" a cheery voice asked.

"This is amazing, Urahara," Ichigo said, slurping some whipped cream off of his fingers which made Grimmjow lick his lips unconsciously, "you're the fuckin' candy man."

Urahara smiled behind his favorite fan, his eyes hidden by his favorite white and green striped hat, "That I am, Ichigo. That I am."

Grimmjow took another bite of the artery clogging goodness, a little creeped out by the storeowner. He seemed nice enough, but then again, being too nice was creepy in itself. He was constantly hiding behind his hat and his fan, offering an air of mystery that was extremely out of place in a candy shop.

Ichigo had explained that Urahara had used to be a scientist with an insatiable sweet tooth. Some years ago, he had developed a new candy that combined several elements of sweet and sour, creating a sensation in the town. He had named it Soul Candy, which was really a joke.

"It's so good, people would sell their souls for it," Urahara had said.

It even came in fun dispensers in bright colors that featured famous characters such as Chappy the Bunny. Urahara had gifted one to Grimmjow, as it was his first time ever being in Urahara's shop. Grimmjow had accepted the gift, but he had noticed the look on Ichigo's face when he had seen it.

"Oh, it's nothin," Ichigo had said after Grimmjow questioned him, "my…ex-girlfriend really loves Chappy, that's all."

Grimmjow had felt like crap after that: on one hand, he had said ex-girlfriend. On the other hand, that meant Grimmjow had more work cut out for him. It wasn't going to be easy to catch this strawberry, but Grimmjow was going to give it everything he had.

As Urahara wandered off to help another customer, Grimmjow picked up one of the cherries on his dish and held it up, "you a good kisser, Ichi?"

Grimmjow enjoyed the instant blush, but decided to explain himself, "They say if you can put a cherry stem in your mouth and tie it in a knot that you're a good kisser."

"Really," Ichigo said, nearly robotic. Must be an American thing, he thought.

"A lil' contest, ne? Loser has to do whatever the winner says for six minutes."

"Why six minutes?"

Grimmjow shrugged, "It's my favorite number. I figured since it's my game, I get to make up the rules."

"Fair enough," Ichigo said, shrugging his nonchalance. He plucked a cherry off of his melting mountain and held it up in front of him, "When?"

"Count of three," Grimmjow's grin was about ready to eat his face, "one, two…three."

Both bishies popped the cherries into their mouths, their eyes fixed on each other as they battled. Ichigo had practiced this several times and was quite confident, but he could feel the stem starting to snap from his aggressive approach.

Grimmjow sat quietly, smirking. Ichigo groaned, taking a broken cherry stem out of his mouth, "Dammit."

Grimmjow saw the glint of metal, feeling his dick grow hard at the realization the berry had a tongue ring. Fucking fantastic.

Grimmjow said nothing, only opened his mouth slightly and stuck out his large tongue, the stem perfectly looped. He took it off of his tongue and set it on the table, his eyes full of mischief, "King me."

"Fuck," Ichigo moaned, a sore loser. He laughed then, thinking it was ridiculous to be upset over losing such a stupid (but creative) game, "shit. What do I gotta do?"

"I'll think of something," Grimmjow said, leaning back in his chair and staring at Ichigo with those deep dark blue eyes, "I'll let you know when I decide."

Ichigo gulped, his heart fluttering in his chest, his face feeling too warm, "Whatever. Let's finish this before it melts."

Grimmjow grinned, picking up the parfait spoon and licking it, noticing Ichigo's blush had still not died down. It was too cute: Ichigo really was a strawberry with the color his face had turned.

Which meant one thing: Ichigo was ripe for the picking.

**XXX**

After leaving Urahara's shop, it was nearly eleven. They had talked for a good hour and a half, regaling each other with stories about their childhoods. There wasn't much to speak about with families, as Grimmjow had been orphaned at the age of six and had been bumped from foster family to foster family, never staying with one for more than a few months at a time.

"I'm a stray cat," Grimmjow had joked, smiling, "I wander, free to roam. Don't need to stick around, never get attached."

For some reason, that comment had hurt Ichigo's feelings. Not stick around? Then what were they becoming friends for? It was true that Grimmjow had led a relatively shitty life up until his teenage years when he became a Grade-A delinquent and terrorized the public school systems. He had always had a love for music, and had finally found a way to channel his rage instead of beating people and picking fights all the damn time. It was a true Hollywood rags-to-riches story.

"Enough about me," Grimmjow had said, "I wanna hear about you."

So Ichigo had told him about his crazy-ass father and his overbearing affection and his two younger twin sisters who were so opposite in nature it nearly gave Ichigo a headache.

"My mother died when I was young," Ichigo had admitted, staring at a streetlamp as they sat on an abandoned graffiti-covered park bench, "Karin and Yuzu were only three when it happened. I was eight."

Grimmjow just sat next to him quietly, not pushing him. That was good. Ichigo had expected him to pry, but he didn't. It was nice: he hated when people asked him about it, about the accident.

But Ichigo, for some reason, couldn't keep the details to himself this time. He took a deep breath and continued, "I had been enrolled in a martial arts day camp during the summertime. I hated it. I was always picked on and was weaker than the others, but I didn't want to give up. I was a major crybaby. But there was a competition coming up, and I wanted to show my mom what I could do, what I had been trying so hard for."

Grimmjow was listening, not moving or commenting, so Ichigo continued:

"Mom had said she would come if I was really set on entering the tournament, and I begged her and begged her to let me go. She finally agreed, and I ended up winning the tournament in my age division. I remember her hugging me, telling me how proud she was."

"After, we had to walk home. It was raining really hard. We hadn't made it very far when I realized my medal wasn't hanging around my neck. I panicked and took off down the sidewalk, telling mom it was important, that I had to have it with me, that I couldn't wait until next week to get it back.

I tried running across a busy intersection. It was raining so hard it was flooding. I could hear my mom behind me, yelling my name, calling me back. I didn't look back, just kept running…

And that's when I heard it. Tires squealing, trying to break. A loud thump, and then nothing. I turned around then, seeing my mom lying in the street. The driver had gotten out right away, panicking. Police came quickly…the ambulance took her away.

She died a few hours later from internal bleeding and a blood clot in the brain," Ichigo said, his voice monotone, "and my dad, my dad is a fuckin' doctor. He had been working a double-shift that day to pay off our new house…our brand new fuckin' house that had a garden out back for my mom…"

Ichigo stopped, fighting the lump in his throat. Why was he saying all this? Only Renji and Byakuya knew the complete story of his mother's death, so why was he confiding in a guy he had known for barely two days?

Ichigo sighed, his arms resting on his knees as he stared out into nothingness, "She's dead because of me. If I hadn't been…"

"Stop," Grimmjow said, his voice commanding, "Don't fuckin' say that shit. Don't you dare put yourself through that."

Ichigo stared at him a moment, dumb-founded. He certainly hadn't expected Grimmjow to react in such a strong way, "What do you mean?"

"You didn't kill your mom," Grimmjow said, staring at the sidewalk, "a series of events…you think an eight year old kid held fate in his hands that day? There are a thousand decisions we make in a day that affect us, and not a single one of us knows what that decision will lead to. What if you hadn't gone to the competition? What if it hadn't rained? What if that driver had swerved in time? What if you had been hit by the driver instead? You'll just drive yourself insane thinkin' about what could or could not have been. So don't do it. Just accept it for what it is: a tragedy."

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity when Grimmjow finally spoke:

"I have memories, no matter how vague. I remember a mother that didn't give two shits about me living or dying: be thankful you had a mother that cared for you enough to chase after you, a mother that didn't think about oncoming traffic and the consequences. If you have someone in your life that is that blinded by love, consider yourself lucky, even if you lose them."

Damn, Ichigo had never thought of it that way. It seemed so…simple. Somehow, the harmless topic had turned into a heated bonding moment. He couldn't understand why he felt such a pull towards Grimmjow in such a short amount of time, but he could honestly say he trusted Grimmjow and counted him amongst his closest friends already.

"Come on, I'll drive ya home," Grimmjow said, standing up from the bench and beginning to walk slowly towards the empty parking lot. It was getting late, but Ichigo wasn't ready for the night to be over.

**XXX**

Grimmjow put the Jaguar in park in front of the apartment complex, both young men not wanting the night to be over just yet.

But Ichigo didn't have the balls to ask Grimmjow to come up to his apartment…did he?

"Wanna come up? I've got some beers in the fridge," Ichigo offered, the words coming out quickly and nearly jumbled together.

"Not sick of me yet?" Grimmjow teased.

"No," Ichigo answered honestly, "Besides, I figured booze will cancel out the six minutes I owe ya."

Grimmjow laughed, pulling into a parking space and turning the car off, "Nice try, but no, I think I'll let ya sweat over that for a while."

**XXX**

A few minutes later, Ichigo was unlocking his apartment door and ushering Grimmjow in. It was a tiny apartment but clean, and Ichigo was proud to call it home. The living room was small but he had a large leather couch and a chair, along with a t.v. set. A kitchenette was off to the side down a short hallway. The bedroom was attached at the other end of the kitchen, a quirk that had been weird at first but was convenient to him when he woke up in the mornings and was hungry. The bathroom was attached to his room, making the apartment take an S shape as it snaked around. That was why it was small: it was long and skinny.

"Make yourself at home," Ichigo said, turning on the t.v. and feeling less nervous with the new additional noise, "I'll grab us some drinks."

Ichigo went into the kitchen and began to root around in the refrigerator and took out two bottles of beer. He set them on the counter, looking through a drawer to find his bottle opener. When he turned around he nearly smacked into a solid wall of Grimmjow.

They were so close Ichigo could feel the heat radiating off of Grimmjow's skin, "Something wrong?"

"No," Grimmjow said, leaning in closer to the counter, thereby becoming much too close to Ichigo, "in fact, I just figured out what I want to invest my six minutes in."

"Oh," Ichigo said, numbness beginning to seep through his brain as his legs wanted to shake, "really."

"Really," Grimmjow replied, setting his hands on either side of the counter, blocking Ichigo in, "You agreed to the game, right Ichi?"

"Yeah."

"I played dirty," Grimmjow admitted, breathing so close to Ichigo's ear he fought to breathe properly, "I've been able to tie those cherries since middle school. I was prayin' you sucked at it. Does that make me a bad person?"

"N – no," Ichigo managed, leaning so far back against the counter he thought he might chop himself in half, "nobody likes to lose."

"Hm," Grimmjow said, his eyes creating a path of fire down Ichigo's body, "So, I guess we had better get started."

Ichigo felt panic rise and fall in the pit of his stomach, along with something like…anticipation? WHAT THE HELL? _I'm not gay_ Ichigo chanted in his mind at the same time he closed his eyes.

_I don't like boys I like Grimmjow I don't like Rukia Fuck Renji I'm not gay Oh God Oh shit I can't kiss a guy..._

_...but I want to kiss Grimmjow._

The final thought made Ichigo open his eyes, "Oh fuck."

Grimmjow just stared at him, standing back a bit, "Did you figure out what I want you to do?"

Ichigo fought panic as sweat began to bead on his forehead. His heart was racing, his pulse pounding in his head. Was he going to faint? Goddamn it he couldn't do this but he had lost so he had to do this didn't he? Six minutes wasn't that long what could Grimmjow possibly accomplish in six minutes?

Ichigo's mind filled with inappropriate images, some borrowed from porno movies he had watched. Shit. A whole fuckin' lot could be done in six minutes…

"Um, Grimmjow, I don't think…that would be...appropriate right now," Ichigo said, feeling the blush eat his face alive, "Uh, what I mean is, I don't think I'm ready."

Grimmjow looked at him with one eyebrow raised, "Ya can't sing?"

Ichigo face-palmed, feeling like a complete idiot. Jesus Mary and Joseph, where the hell had his thoughts been straying? Seriously? _Sing?_ **_T_**_hat was it?_

Ichigo sighed, trying to keep himself from screaming, "You want me to sing?"

"Of course," Grimmjow said, shrugging, "I only got to here you once, and you were smashed. I wanna hear the unedited version."

Ichigo nodded slowly, rubbing a hand over his face, mentally exhausted from the voices in his head, "Sing. Alright. Fine. Let me grab my guitar a second."

As Ichigo left the kitchen, Grimmjow's shit-eating grin lit up his face, his insides doing a victory dance.

Oh, but how he loved to tease his little strawberry.

And the fun was just beginning.

**WAHAHAHAHA I AM EVILLLLLL! :D**

**HAHAHAHA I still can't get over that I pulled that not only ONCE, but TWICE on you guys! (In the very beginning, and now, at the cliffy!) But don't kill me just yet there was a lot of development in this chapter and yeah, I know that was really intense with the "heart to heart" stories, but I want them to develop quickly so we can jump right into the smut! :D**

**Alright, and I might manage to crank out another chapter before I leave the country in a few days so you guys had better do your job and review and I might release a new chapter. If not, you're all gonna have to wait until the end of June, when I come home. Thanks for reading and don't hurt me! I'll make up for this frustration in the near future! xD**


	5. Kiss Me, Dammit!

**Alright, so this is the final update for a while as I'll be out of the country until late June. So please nobody think I'm dead I'm coming back to finish this story! Believe in me! I won't let you down! ~ thePetulantProdigy**

**And we were just getting to the good part…**

Chapter Five:

Grimmjow wandered out into the living room, waiting for Ichigo to return with his guitar. He came in a minute later, toting a worn-out acoustic. Grimmjow reclined back on the couch and Ichigo instantly thought of his Espada poster and swallowed.

Shit. Having the real-deal sitting in front of you was so much better.

Ichigo sat on the edge of the only other piece of furniture in the living room besides the coffee table, getting comfortable as he balanced the guitar in his lap.

"So, what? Just sing for six minutes?"

Grimmjow nodded, "Whatever you want. I'm not picky."

Ichigo took a deep breath, taking a pick out of his pocket that he carried with him constantly. He strummed the guitar a few times, thinking. He was in the mood for something simple, and the chords came to him with little contemplation. His muscle memory took over as he played the intro, his voice low and husky:

"What day is it, and in what month this clock never seemed so alive…I can't keep up, and I can't back down I've been losing…so much…time…'Cuz its you and me, and all other people with nothing to do, nothing to lose and it's you and me, and all other people and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you…"

Ichigo didn't look at Grimmjow, but he could feel the blue eyes on him.

"What other things that I wanna say just aren't comin' out right…I'm tripping inwards, you get my head spinning I don't know where to go from here…"

Ichigo kept strumming, focusing on the sound and range. It was one of his favorite American songs and the words continued to flow from his mouth as he lost himself in the moment.

"...and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you…"

Ichigo realized that the song was actually quite long, but not quite six minutes, so he added a few riffs, humming along. He finished out the song, his hand slowing as it grew softer.

"…this clock never seemed so alive."

Finished, he looked over at Grimmjow, waiting for a response.

Grimmjow just stared, his crooked smile making Ichigo blush, "That was fuckin' fantastic, Ichi."

"Seriously?" Ichigo mumbled staring at his guitar.

"Awesome," Grimmjow added, staring intently at Ichigo, "I'll swing by and pick you up at four. Aizen got us a space to practice and I'd like to get you comfortable with the band and…"

"Damn," Ichigo said, running a hand over the back of his neck, "I can't believe this is really happening."

Grimmjow chuckled, getting up and approaching the strawberry, "I'm impressed. Didn't know you played."

Ichigo was actually a bit insulted, "I'm the electric guitarist for Soul Society."

Grimmjow gave him a look like he was forgetting something, and Ichigo wanted to slap himself, "I mean, I used to be, dammit. Not anymore. Anyways, do you think that, well, I could still play a little?"

"Hook up an amp," Grimmjow challenged, taking the acoustic out of Ichigo's arms.

Ichigo's whole face lit up and Grimmjow swallowed. Shit, this berry was walking all over him with those smiles. It was utterly ridiculous how natural they acted around each other, not throwing up bullshit walls that kept people apart. To be honest, Grimmjow was a little scared about how quickly he was becoming attached to the berry.

"Come to my bedroom," Ichigo said, already to the kitchen, "I got it all hooked up in there."

Grimmjow followed, hoping he could control himself in the tempting environment.

**XXX**

The bedroom was ridiculously small. The only furniture was a neglected futon that hadn't been made up properly and a wood bedside table. There were a few shelves storing picture frames and various knickknacks and Grimmjow's eyes immediately went to the mountainous collection of cds in the corner arranged in neat piles and the menagerie of posters covering the wall with the window. Grimmjow smirked when he saw Espada up there, grouped in the middle. Grimmjow felt like something was tugging on his heart, and it was a strange sensation.

Other than the sliding door to a miniscule closet and a window, the room was pretty much done. It was a pale blue, calming and made the space seem bigger than it actually was. Ichigo had just finished hooking up the amp and tuning his electric guitar, and Grimmjow was quite impressed. It was a black and silver Zanpakuto, a pretty pricey piece of equipment that not a lot of musicians had the balls to use. It was tough, but apparently, Ichi had the magic fingers.

That last thought left Grimmjow swallowing: shit, being in a bedroom did not help his growing chemistry towards the berry.

Ichigo motioned for Grimmjow to sit on the futon while he played standing up, looking composed and cool. Grimmjow couldn't help but smile as Ichigo began strumming, playing a familiar tune. An extremely familiar tune, considering it was one of Espada's number one songs.

Ichigo didn't sing the lyrics to _Dog Eat Dog_, but Grimmjow enjoyed the show anyway. This song was quite difficult, full of intricate riffs that were part of what made Espada special. When Ichigo finished he looked coolly over at Grimmjow and grinned.

"Stark is gonna love you," Grimmjow mumbled, already jealous. Their lead guitarist, the most lazy man on the face of the freakin' planet, was going to be all over Ichi for his talent.

Ichigo tried to keep composure but Grimmjow could tell he was extremely pleased.

"So how long have you been playing?" Grimmjow asked as Ichigo sat on the edge of the futon within arm's reach.

Ichigo held the Zanpakuto like it was his life's treasure, "When my mom died, my dad bought me an acoustic, hoping it would make me get into something to stop thinking so much about the accident. I became addicted to playing, so my dad got me a teacher. Didn't break into electric until middle school. Saved up my money and bought this bad boy two years ago."

"It looks brand new," Grimmjow commented, staring at the handsome guitar, "You obviously take good care of it."

Ichigo nodded, bending over to turn the amp off and straightening himself once more, "They're expensive as hell, but they're practically one of a kind. No one else has a Zanpakuto like mine."

"They're pretty sweet," Grimmjow agreed, leaning back, "Pantera is practically family."

"Pantera?" Ichigo asked.

"My Zanpakuto," Grimmjow said, grinning, "Got it the second we signed our first record deal."

"You named your Zanpakuto?"

"Hell yeah," Grimmjow said, smiling lazily, "didn't you?"

"Well…yeah, but…"

"What's its name?"

Grimmjow was once again gifted by a slight blush as Ichigo finally mumbled, "Zangetsu."

"See, it ain't weird," Grimmjow said, grabbing Zangetsu off of the stand and strumming it lightly, "It's no different when people name their cars. It's an important part of our lives, a part of us. They're our weapons against the world."

Ichigo thought about that as Grimmjow started up on an unfamiliar riff, his fingers flying over the strings. Ichigo tried to keep his mouth from falling open as Grimmjow continued to play, glancing at Ichigo every once in a while with one of those heartbreaking grins.

"Did you just make that up?" Ichigo asked as Grimmjow set Zangetsu back on the stand.

"No," Grimmjow answered, looking at him, "I've been working on it for a while. Haven't talked to the band about it yet; still just an idea for a new song."

"Any lyrics?"

"Some," Grimmjow shrugged, "thinkin' about callin' it _Memories in the Rain_."

The name made Ichigo think about that rainy day ten years ago, the last time he had ever seen his mother alive, "oh."

"Nothin' serious at this point. I'm hollow from the last cd release. I haven't written anything in almost ten months."

"Shit," Ichigo murmured, staring at Grimmjow.

"But I got some new inspiration now. We can help each other out, bounce ideas off of each other. Be a team. Fuck, we'll probably be unstoppable."

Ichigo nodded, not entirely sure. It sounded like a good hope, but Ichigo wasn't always one to be completely optimistic. He was still feeling insecure about the rest of the band: would they be as cool and laid back as Grimmjow? What if Stark hated his guitar playing? What if Ulquiorra or the infamous uncouth Nnoitra Jiruga targeted him as a poser? How would he conduct himself knowing he had been plucked from a barrel of nobodies and thrown into a sea full of famous sharks?

"You still want that beer?" Ichigo asked, distracting himself.

"Yeah," Grimmjow said, following Ichigo out of the bedroom and away from temptation, "The heavy-weight championship is re-running at 1 if ya wanna watch it."

"Hell yeah I wanna watch it," Ichigo said, turning on the t.v. and flipping through the channels until he came to the Hogyoku channel: all fighting all the time!

Grimmjow helped Ichigo tote a load of beers to the living room and settle in, picking opposite sides of the couch and cracking a few beers as the famous fight took over the screen.

Over an hour later, Ichigo was screaming at the screen, his face red from the ten-or-so beers he had consumed, "Goddammit, Yasutoro! Get that pecker!"

His favorite fighter, Yasutoro "Chad" Sado was currently losing to a rival Ichigo couldn't stand.

"Ha, he's done for," Grimmjow laughed, taking another sip from his eighth-or-ninth beer and buzzing nicely, "my man Tessai is fuckin' rapin' Sado's ass."

"It's not over yet!" Ichigo fought, pushing Grimmjow in the chest, "Yasutoro'll pull it together, you just wait and see!"

Grimmjow snickered, his eyes flicking between the screen and Ichigo. He had already seen the championship premiere, so he already knew who was going to win. Seriously, Ichigo was such a novice. Tessai had been fighting for nearly a decade longer than this green-nosed Sado. The kid didn't have a fuckin' chance in hell.

"Alright, let's bet," Grimmjow said, finishing his beer and setting it on the coffee table in front of them, "If your man wins, I gotta do whatever you say for six minutes. If my man wins, you gotta do whatever I say for six minutes."

"This game again?" Ichigo pouted, rolling his eyes, "Seriously, be more creative."

"I think you're scared," Grimmjow taunted, "you know your puny-ass Chad ain't gonna win."

"Fuck you!" Ichigo bellowed, throwing all his weight into Grimmjow and nearly knocking them both off of the couch, "I told you to wait! He's gonna win, I can feel it! He's got that good old fashioned fighting spirit shit!"

Grimmjow laughed maniacally, wishing he had become friends with Ichigo years ago. The kid was a complete riot when he was drunk, "Then put your money where your mouth is, bitch."

"I ain't got any money," Ichigo pouted, his eyebrows pulled together in concern, "You're rich, why the fuck you want my money?"

"I don't want your money, it's a figure of speech."

"Che, whatever," Ichigo said, turning his attention back to the screen, "Fine, if my fuckin' man wins, I'm gonna make you walk around in girl's underwear!"

Grimmjow grinned again, sliding closer to Ichigo, "And if I win, ya gotta kiss me."

"Huh?" Ichigo said, whipping his head back around to stare at Grimmjow like a deer caught in headlights.

"We gotta deal?" Grimmjow said, holding out his hand as if to shake on it.

"What the fuck?" Ichigo was lost, his brain sluggish. He had never had a guy ask for a kiss before, and instead of being offended or punching the bastard, Ichigo was actually nervous, "why the fuck you wanna do that?"

"Cuz I feel like it," Grimmjow said, head locking Ichigo and giving him a noogie, "cuz I'm shit-faced with an alcoholic loser right now."

Grimmjow finally let Ichigo go after Ichigo threatened to cut off a certain part of his anatomy, "Fine! Just shut the fuck up and watch the fight!"

Ha, Grimmjow thought. Got him.

After another fifteen minutes of mindless cheering and rooting, Grimmjow tried not to sneer with delight as Chad was finally counted down and the ref held up Tessai's arm in victory. The crowd on the screen roared while Ichigo raged, kicking the table repeatedly which rattled the various empty beer bottles, "Goddammit! Shit fuck fuckin' loser…!"

"I won again," Grimmjow said huskily, inching closer to Ichigo, "Pucker up, buttercup."

"Wha – wait, Grimmjow," Ichigo said, starting to panic as Grimmjow moved over him like a predatory cat, "We're both drunk and this isn't-"

"Shit, Ichi, I've wanted ta kiss you since I met you," Grimmjow admitted, hovering over Ichigo, his breath hot on Ichigo's face, "You keep lookin' at me like that, smilin' like that, and damn you have no fuckin' idea what I want to do to you…"

"Shit," Ichigo defended, trying to push Grimmjow back, "Grimm, I – I don't know what to say to that…"

"Then don't talk," Grimmjow shot back, his blue eyes heated.

And before Ichigo could react, Grimmjow leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

It was chaste at first, so warm. Ichigo hadn't kissed anybody since Rukia, and that had been nearly a month ago. And he sure as hell had never kissed a guy.

But it wasn't…a bad feeling. In fact, Ichigo felt himself giving in, opening his mouth for Grimmjow's invading tongue. A moment later Ichigo realized he was making noise, moaning in the back of his throat. God, Grimmjow was an amazing kisser.

Grimmjow eventually pulled back, knocking foreheads with Ichigo, "See? S'not so bad, is it?"

Ichigo shook his head violently from side to side, as if he might be able to clear the reality away from him, "Fuck, you just fuckin' kissed me."

"And…?"

"You're a fuckin' _dude_!" Ichigo defended, half-heartedly punching Grimmjow in the chest, "shit, you're an asshole, you know that?"

"Then I'm an asshole," Grimmjow replied, no heat in his words, "Come on, Ichi, admit it. You feel somethin' for me, 'cuz I sure as hell feel somethin' for you."

"Is this some crazy plot to get me ta join the band? Cuz this is _so_ not working," Ichigo said, rubbing his face with a hand.

"No, this ain't got nothin' to do with Espada," Grimmjow said, grabbing Ichigo's chin with a hand, "this is about you and me. So tell me, was it really that bad?"

Ichigo pulled his head away out of Grimmjow's grasp, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His mind was a toxic sludge wasteland, his brain cells giving full command to his sensory nerves that had his whole body tingling from all the bodily attention. Shit.

Ichigo opened his eyes, but didn't want to look at Grimmjow as he answered, "Fuck, I've…I've never liked a guy before."

Grimmjow's grin was in danger of eating his face again and Ichigo wanted to crawl under the couch and never come back out he was so embarrassed, "Never been confessed to that way, but it works for me."

"Fuck you," Ichigo mumbled, pushing Grimmjow with both hands but being extremely unsuccessful in moving him anywhere away from him.

"Not yet," Grimmjow countered, "but glad ta know that's on your mind too. By the way, we still have four minutes."

**WEEEEEEEEE! Who's excited? Raise your hand if you're excited! :D**

**Alright, I never intended this fic to be so GODDAMN FLUFFY, but I suppose my obsession with Asian Dramas is beginning to wear off on me -_-;**

**ANYWAYS, PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! ;)**


	6. Opportunity Doesn't Always Knock

Bands & Berries

Chapter Six: Oppurtunity Doesn't Always Knock

Ichigo gasped for air, clutching at Grimmjow's fitted vintage tee, "G-Grimmjow, stop."

Grimmjow, who had been promised six minutes and still had a good minute and a half left, ignored the berry and began to leave a trail of wet kisses down the strawberry's neck. Damn, but this berry was perfect. No, HIS berry was perfect.

Grimmjow pulled roughly on Ichigo's black collar, exposing the skin of his collarbone. He licked there teasingly, nipping along the bone with his teeth. When Ichigo issued a low, agonizing moan, Grimmjow thought he might lose his mind, "Fuck, Ichi."

Ichigo's fingers were intertwined in Grimmjow's shirt, blind and stupid to getting a grip. It was as if they were there to simply check if Grimmjow was real and not a hallucination. Grimmjow finally pulled back enough to stare into Ichigo's flushed face, his pupils dilated from too much booze and his arousal.

Grimmjow growled deep in his throat, resting his forehead against the berry's chest. Fuck, but he couldn't take the berry now. No, it would fuck everything up. Grimmjow had never been a romantic, but he didn't want a drunk fuck or one-night-stand to keep him from getting more from the berry. What exactly he wanted from the berry was still in question, but Grimmjow's guts protested more than his excited dick, "Damn it."

Ichigo was breathing just as heavily as him, his head thrown back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, "Jesus."

Grimmjow finally rolled off of him, running his hands through his hair, trying to control the alcohol and heat in his veins, "And a minute to spare, huh?"

"Ass hole," Ichigo grumbled, but heat was lacking in the words, "The fuck…you just…what's goin' on?"

"I would think that's obvious," Grimmjow said sarcastically, making a grab at Ichigo's obvious erection. He kept his hand there, squeezing gently as Ichigo cursed, "Your dick seems to like it, so why are you bitching?"

"Shut the fuck up, I am not!" Ichigo huffed, shoving Grimmjow hard enough to knock him off of the couch, "just get out! Get the fuck out!"

Grimmjow sat up, his vision cloudy for a second before he crawled back along the couch, locking his hands on Ichigo's knees.

Ichigo swallowed, intimidated by the dark seductive look coming from the teal-haired punk, "I still got one minute, Ichi, or are you a pussy?"

"Am not," Ichigo protested, not stopping Grimmjow's hands as they worked their way to Ichigo's belt, "Just, you…fuck you! You're such a fuckin' jerk!" Ichigo's hands were shaking as he pushed at Grimmjow's determined ones, but even with the heat of his words, he wasn't fighting nearly as hard as he usually could. Ichigo wanted to blame it on the booze, but a little voice in the back of his head told him he liked this aggressive Grimmjow.

"Relax," Grimmjow growled, yanking on the zipper to Ichigo's tight jeans as Ichigo's hands found purchase in his blue locks. Ah, that felt nice. Grimmjow didn't like people touching his hair or his face (well, anywhere in general), but the berry's fingers felt nice, running through his hair, even if the berry was unaware as to how erotic it felt.

"N-no," Ichigo complained, trying to yank Grimmjow's head away from his sensitive throbbing need, "c-can you stop? This is fucking crazy."

"So you don't want a blowjob?" Grimmjow asked, looking up at Ichigo innocently. The expression was so misplaced that Ichigo blinked several times before responding to such a ridiculous question, "What the…? Fuck no, baka!"

"Really?" Grimmjow said, finally getting a hold of Ichigo's cock and squeezing the base. Ichigo sucked in a sharp breath, his toes curling, "then what do you want, Ichi?"

"Hnn," Ichigo gasped, trying not to buck into Grimmjow's hot palm, "F-fuck…"

Ichigo was taking shallow breaths as Grimmjow grinned wickedly, "Your wish is my command."

Shit! That's not what he had meant!

"W-wait! No!" Ichigo panicked as Grimmjow's hand began to move up and down, the pace quickening almost immediately. Ichigo's pleasure receptors exploded, barricading his brain from all normal function. Shit, but it felt amazing. He had never been jacked off before; not even Rukia had been willing to play with him like this, and a fucking blue-haired stranger was doing it to him when he had known him less than a week. Ichigo couldn't help but marvel over how good it felt: it was so much better than his own hand.

Grimmjow was still working the jeans off of the berry's hips as best he could but didn't get very far, but far enough to where Grimmjow could play with the younger man's ass. As Ichigo's complaints turned into vigorous moans and cries, Grimmjow wet his free hand's fingers with his experienced tongue and got to work. He placed one finger at the berry's entrance and pushed gently, Ichigo's grunts were reassuring, so he continued, stroking the berry off with one hand while the other effectively fucked the berry with his fingers.

He had gotten three fingers in by the time Grimmjow heard the deep satisfied moan, the moan that meant he had hit the prostate. Grimmjow tapped it repeatedly, his cock weeping with pre-cum at the berry's voice alone.

"Oh shit oh shit," Ichigo chanted, one of his arms over his face as the other hand was tangled and pulling at Grimmjow's hair, "Oh God Grimmjow oh God I'm…"

A small splatter of cum coated Grimmjow's hand as Ichigo tightened around Grimmjow's fingers, making him moan. As Ichigo road the wave of his orgasm, Grimmjow quickly unzipped his own pants and stroked himself, using the mess from Ichigo as lubricant.

"F-fuck Ichi," Grimmjow grunted, cumming moments later. Grimmjow stroked himself a few more times as he stared at the drunken teenager, the room suddenly too hot to contain them both, "Shit."

Fuck, he had done it. He shouldn't have, but it was too late now. He had only wanted to tease the berry, and look where that had gotten him. A big fuckin' bite out of the fuckin' forbidden fruit. What was he supposed to do now? Go crash in the next room and wake up in the morning like everything had been friendly? Shit, he was such a fucking idiot.

Both waited for their breathing to relax before attempting to move and clean themselves up, both unceremoniously grabbing a few tissues from a box on the coffee table. It didn't take long, and the silence was awkward as both tried to think of something to say.

"What the fuck," Ichigo finally said, the question coming out like a statement, "That's called RAPE, asshole. I tell you no and you do it anyway."

"I've never been a good listener," Grimmjow replied, the words flowing from his mouth before he had a chance to think about it. He had never been one of those guys, the guys who were super careful about how their words came off to other people. His words usually came off sardonic or cruel, but it was just the way Grimmjow thought, and Ichigo took it as more of a smart-ass jibe.

Ichigo had zipped and buttoned his pants, standing away from Grimmjow in the darkness of the living room, the only light a static-y station on the t.v. Shit, but he had been an idiot: he never should have opened his big mouth. Obviously, there was some fucking chemistry between them, but Ichigo was not someone to jump into something head first. His relationships had never moved this swiftly. It had taken him months to fuck around with Rukia but only hours and a few beers to fuck around with a blue-eyed, teal-haired sex god (that was male, by the way, and Ichigo was NOT gay).

No, definitely not.

"I think you should leave," Ichigo said.

Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his hair again, pulling the bangs back, "Fuck, I'm sorry, Ichi."

"Just go," Ichigo said, standing still as a statue.

Grimmjow grabbed his wallet and keys off of the floor along with his discarded jacket, his face betraying nothing, "I didn't mean to offend you, I mean, I didn't want…fuck, never mind."

Ichigo stared after him, his cheeks reddening, "Don't fuckin' cry over it, baka. I'll see you in a few hours."

Grimmjow looked at him, a quirked eyebrow questioning, "Really? You're not pissed?"

Ichigo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with a hand, "It's my fault for gettin' drunk and agreeing to your stupid fuckin' games in the first place, and I kinda let you take it too far...shit, it's not that I didn't like it, it's just…"

Grimmjow wanted to run over and hug the berry he was being so fuckin' cute right now. Even in the dark, Grimmjow could tell how shy and awkward the berry felt, "You're right, Ichi. Slow and steady wins the race, ne?"

Ichigo opened the door to the apartment for Grimmjow, waiting for him to get out, his face reserved, "Look, I'm not gay, I mean…like I said, I've never liked a guy before, so don't go expecting that-"

But Ichigo had been cut off by a sneaky kiss from an equally sneaky and sinful guy. Grimmjow smiled that crooked smile, "I'll see ya in a few, Ichi."

The door clicked quietly behind him, leaving Ichigo alone with his hot and teaming thoughts.

**XXX**

Before Grimmjow had even made it to his car, his phone was ready to vibrate out of his pocket. Annoyed, he checked the caller i.d, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree: ICHI BERRY.

"Yo," Grimmjow answered, walking the final step to lean against the side of his car, "Miss me already?"

"If you're going to be a smart ass," Ichigo began, his voice quite serious, "then consider my invitation null and void."

"What invitation?"

Grimmjow listened to the berry sigh, "It's already late. You might as well crash here, baka."

Grimmjow sucked in a breath, his heart accelerating, "You really want that?"

"Look, you don't have to, I just thought…I don't know," Ichigo continued, his voice low, "I don't know what the fuck is going on between us, but I'm not going to run away from this if you're serious."

Grimmjow gulped, trying not to get too excited. Fuck, this was all moving fast for him too, but there was nothing in the world right now that would make him happier than being with the berry. It was like a moth to the flame, "I'm serious, Ichi. I want you."

The line was silent a moment as Grimmjow assumed Ichigo was processing that bold statement, then a hushed whisper, "Then, I guess you had better come get me."

Fuck, Grimmjow thought, closing his cell phone and nearly sprinting back to the apartment complex. He was hard again, and the berry was going to have to pay for that fuckin' sexy ass statement. Grimmjow would be sure of that.

**XXX**

Grimmjow didn't knock, just flung the door open, capturing Ichigo in his arms in an aggressive display of affection. Grimmjow tried not to get overly excited when Ichigo kissed him back, their tongues dancing. Shit, how much he wanted to make the berry moan again. But he wasn't going to blow it this time; he was going to take things as slowly as possible. He needed Ichigo to be in this one hundred percent and not afraid. Besides, he was still struggling to accept his sexual preference. Grimmjow had known he was a homosexual his entire life, while Ichigo was trying to understand what it was exactly that he was attracted to.

Grimmjow put his knee between Ichigo's legs, feeling the arousal there. Well, so far so good.

They both finally came up for air when Grimmjow realized they had made it to the kitchenette. Without really thinking, Grimmjow hoisted his berry up on the ledge of the counter, standing firmly between Ichigo's legs, "This okay, Ichi?"

Ichigo was catching his breath, answering by wrapping his legs around Grimmjow's middle, "Don't talk."

Grimmjow grinned before attacking the berry's face again, invading his mouth with a new eagerness that had nothing to do with the alcohol. He was intoxicated all right, but it had nothing to do with the cheap beer. He was addicted to this strawberry, and that made him a little dangerous.

They continued for several more minutes, both so caught up in each other it was only after Ichigo's cell phone blared for the thousandth time that either took notice.

"Fuck!" Ichigo said, gripping Grimmjow's shoulders tightly, "Gimme a minute."

Ha, at least Ichigo had seemed upset at the interruption. Grimmjow nodded, ready to rip whoever was calling at this time of the morning's head off, especially when they had been progressing so nicely. Grimmjow slowly moved out of the way, allowing Ichigo to get down off of the counter and root around the living room for his loud obnoxious phone.

Grimmjow watched Ichigo's face turn from annoyance to anger, but the berry answered it anyway, "Do you have any idea what time it is, you fucking asshole?"

"Heyyy," a drunk Renji said from the other side of the line, "You know wha, Ichi? We need to have ourselves a little chat."

"I don't want to talk to you," Ichigo challenged, momentarily forgetting Grimmjow was in the room with him, "Stop fuckin' calling me. Leave me the hell alone."

"You're being such a BITCH!" Renji raged, throwing something that shattered against something, "I fuckin' admit it, yeah, I'm fuckin' scum for fuckin' her, but Ichi, Jesus, I don't even LIKE her."

"Well isn't that just damn special," Ichigo muttered, beginning to pace the tiny living room, "When did you figure that out, Renji? While you were fuckin' her or after?"

"I was drunk!" Renji whined, gulping something down, "you know how I am when I'm drunk. I'll fuck a pole. Fuck, what is it going to take to get you to forgive me?"

"Are you drunk because of me?" Ichigo asked honestly, not knowing whether to be smug or horrified, "pull yourself together. At least TRY to be a man."

"I thought giving you some space would mellow things out, but you've never been like this with me, Ichi. We're fuckin' best friends for life! 'Member that? We're supposed to fuckin' go platinum, tour the world, fuck all the groupies and retire as old farts with oxygen tanks. Poop in our diapers together and hit on the ugly-ass nurses at the nursing home!"

Ichigo sighed, ready to hang up on the idiot, "I'm not going to deal with you right now, especially when you're piss-ass drunk. You're a fuckin' moron if you think I'm going to forgive you because you cry like a little bitch. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than that."

"Fuck you!" Renji screamed, "Fuck you, Ichigo! Soul Society doesn't fuckin' need a fuckin' loser like you! We'll make it on our own, without you!"

"I hope so, Renji," Ichigo said calmly, "because I want to see your face when I shit on your demo deal."

And with that, Ichigo turned his cell phone off, effectively blocking the lunatic from reaching him again. Wherever Renji was, he was probably too drunk to come to his apartment, so he didn't worry about physical confrontation.

He turned back to Grimmjow, a little annoyed but not ashamed of his attitude, "He's the reason I left. I'm sure you got the gist."

Grimmjow nodded once, his eyes questioning. Well, the mood had effectively been damaged for the evening. Well, early morning.

Ichigo sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers before speaking again, "I'm going to take a shower. You sleepin' out here?"

Grimmjow looked from the couch back to Ichigo, unsure.

"The futon's probably big enough," Ichigo shrugged, turning to make his way to his cramped bathroom.

Grimmjow removed his shirt and jeans and crawled into the futon in his boxers as he listened to the water taps in the bathroom next door. He lay there, suddenly restless.

Shit, he couldn't believe this Renji character. Who the fuck did he think he was, torturing his berry like that? Grimmjow was thinking up a dozen different ways to cut off the insensitive bastard's dick when he felt another body get under the covers and snuggle up against him. It was not a sexual advance, and Grimmjow could deal with that. No one would ever guess Grimmjow was a cuddler, but in fact, he was usually okay with it. He didn't mind, depending on the person. It felt good with Ichigo, his steady breathing, his slightly wet hair pressed against his shoulder.

Ichigo passed out nearly instantly, his breathing light. Grimmjow turned into Ichigo, facing his sleeping face in the darkness, soothed by the body heat. It wasn't long before he was asleep as well.

**XXX**

Byakuya ducked as Renji threw the cell phone, cussing like a trucker. Byakuya had just barged his way into Renji's tiny dim apartment, seeing the evidence of a late party-of-one night. Byakuya was sure that Renji wasn't clean right now, but he tried to ignore the small mirror and razor blade sitting on the edge of the small wooden coffee table. Empty bottles of booze littered the ground and Byakuya just stared at his friend who was in a heap in the corner, pulling at his long red hair in frustration.

"The fuck you want?" Renji snarled, finally looking back up at Byakuya, "I ain't got nothin' ta say to any of you bastards."

Byakuya just stared at him, reserved. Of course he was angry with Renji over the predicament, but what was he to do? He was a third party; he was not involved in this scandal in any way other than that he was pissed his little sister couldn't keep her legs shut. Besides, Byakuya didn't like to think about Renji fucking anybody, let alone somebody he knew. It was bad enough watching him go from girl to girl, uke to uke, losing himself and moving on before he could get hurt. Renji was notorious.

And it was partly his own sister's fault that his crush of more than two years was laying in a high, drunken heap in the corner, oblivious to his feelings. He had been careful for years to only be seen with women, and for what? The only person he desperately wanted to sleep with was lying here right in front of him, "I wanted to make sure you were alright. You weren't answering my calls."

"Fuck you," Renji murmured, flailing his hand around uselessly, "Don't need any of you. Don't wanna talk to you."

"Really?" Byakuya said, coming closer and crouching down so he was eye level with the tattooed singer, "Because to me, it looks like what you need right now is someone to talk to."

Renji sniffed, sighing before rolling his head to the side to stare at Byakuya, "Ya know what sucks the most, Kuchiki? You think a fuckin' bastard like me has **feelings**. Haven't'ya been payin' attention? I don't give a fuck about nobody."

"Hm," Byakuya replied, his eyes traveling down Renji's form. The redhead was only wearing sweat pants, offering Byakuya a look at his toned chest covered in those zig-zag lightning tattoos. He tried not to salivate, "If you didn't have feelings, you wouldn't be calling Ichigo."

"Shut up," Renji huffed, slapping Byakuya's hand away, "Just leave me alone. Go away."

"My diagnosis," Byakuya said, leaning into Renji's ear, "is stress."

"Stress?"

"Perhaps some sexual frustration," Byakuya continued, his face blank as a slate as he touched Renji's chest. It was incredibly warm, fiery hot, "Would you like me to help you release some of that pent-up anxiety?"

"What the…" Renji just stared at him stupidly for a moment, processing Byakuya's words, "You're a faggot?"

"Aren't you?" Byakuya retorted.

"I'm bi: there's a difference," Renji pouted, poking Byakuya in the chest, "Besides, I do the fucking."

Byakuya offered a tiny grin, making Renji's face flush, "So I've heard."

"You mother-!"

Before Renji could punch Byakuya effectively, he had moved out of the way, capturing Renji's wrists and bringing them over his head.

Byakuya's face was serious, making Renji tremble slightly. Shit, he was getting turned on. Usually Renji did all the dominating, but the more and more Renji thought about it, Byakuya was strong, muscular, and mysterious. His pitch-black hair was just past his shoulders, styled nicely. His cobalt eyes were just as dark, just as fierce as his silent personality. Renji could see and feel toned muscles and it made his fingers itch to see what was underneath the black shirt he was wearing.

Byakuya would probably be the hottest fuck of his life. But, another voice in Renji's head reasoned, there was absolutely no way in hell this tall, dark, and ridiculously good-looking guy was uke.

Then again, Renji felt his logic twisting. What would it be like to be underneath him, writhing and begging? Renji wanted to know. He was warm, already half hard thinking about the cold quiet friend in a moment of passion, pounding Renji into the tatami mat flooring.

He wanted to know what it would be like to break Byakuya's control. That quiet, perfect control. Byakuya was always in control, never lost his head in any situation. Renji realized he had never heard Byakuya yell or pitch a fit. Never lose his temper. That was going to have to change. Starting now.

Renji slid his hand over Byakuya's chest, inwardly excited about the feel of defined abs through the fabric. His hand finally reached Byakuya's belt and stayed there, his eyes straying up to Byakuya's mask-like expression, "I gotta warn ya, I'm extremely aggressive."

Renji's heart skipped a beat as Byakuya grinned, a grin Renji had never seen from him before. It was a wolf-like grin. And Renji was Little Red Riding Hood.

Byakuya leaned into Renji, kissing him softly. It wasn't soft for long when Renji became impatient and tried to dominate the kiss. Byakuya seemed to let him, so Renji advanced, pushing back on him until he was straddling Byakuya, enjoying the feeling of dominance. Fuck, maybe he would get Byakuya to moan like a bitch after all. What did his face look like during an orgasm? Renji was dying to find out.

But the tables turned oh-so swiftly. One minute Renji had been on top, the next he was flipped over on his back, staring up into the eyes of one very hungry wolf.

Byakuya kissed Renji again, this time making Renji's toes curl at the incredible sensation. Shit, this dude knew what he was doing! Renji heard a moan, but he prayed to god that it wasn't him. Fuck, was he making those girly sounds?

Byakuya pressed their erections together. Even through the fabric, it was extremely sensitive.

"Ahhhn," Renji moaned, trying not to buck.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," Byakuya reassured, licking Renji's earlobe and biting it harshly, "After all, I'm very aggressive."

**SO WHAT DID YOU THINK?** A LITTLE LEMON TO KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED BUT NOT FULL-OUT SMUT (YET). And I wanted to make sure I kept Ichigo as masculine as he is in the anime. You know he's not a sniveling weak uke! I will not allow it. Although making him a strong, independent, young, hot-blooded male is quite a challenge ;)

**And I want to know if you saw Byakuya/Renji coming?** I dropped a very unsubtle hint (Byakuya's reaction by saying "I'll kill him" had nothing to do with Rukia. It was Byakuya upset that Renji was out screwing around…again…) but I didn't know if my readers were fans of that couple. I think they're canon (I can only picture Byakuya with Renji, although I can picture Renji with five or six different people! xD poor Byakuya lol)

And I'm so glad I got this out early! I was feeling inspired and missed you guys a lot so this is my little gift to you all. I'LL UPDATE SOON KIDDIES ~ PetulantProdigy


	7. Impress Me

**This chapter's dedicated to my dedicated reviewers. You know who you are! Thanks for all your support!** :P

WARNING: slight Halibel-bashing. Not on purpose, just for laughs. My attempt at humor = fail xD.

Bands & Berries Chapter 7: Impress Me

Grimmjow grumbled as he shifted in the bed, his long toned arm reaching over the edge of the bed to rummage for his pants on the ground. He finally managed to pull out his blaring cell phone. He flipped it open and stuck it to his ear, only half-awake.

"The fuck you want?" he growled into the receiver.

"Well fuck, good mornin' princess," came a familiar snide voice, "Fuckin' forgettin' somethin', or are ya gonna sleep off your stupidity all fuckin' day?"

"The fuck?" Grimmjow replied, rubbing his eyes and trying to remember the past few hours. He looked over at Ichigo to see him still curled up in sleep. The sight was so fucking cute it took Grimmjow a minute to remember what day it was, "What time is it, Nnoi?"

Nnoitra scoffed, "Almost four, ass hole. Aizen's about ready to send out a fuckin' search party for yer ass. Why didn'tcha come back to the hotel last night and save us all the fuckin' misery?"

"Why the fuck you care?" Grimmjow growled back, "I'm on my way, that's all you need to know. Tell Aizen to shove it and I'll be there in half an hour."

"Whatever," Nnoitra said, hanging up on him.

Well, that hadn't been the greatest wake up call ever. Grimmjow groaned, stretching as he rolled over in the bed, his arms wrapping around Ichigo and drawing him to his chest. He rested his chin on top of the berry's soft hair. He was so damn comfortable he was almost tempted to call Aizen and tell him he couldn't make it to the rehearsal, but it had to be done. Besides, the sooner the band met Ichigo the better.

Ichigo murmured something as his head nuzzled against Grimmjow. Grimmjow ran a hand over the side of Ichigo's face, "Wake up, sleepy head."

Ichigo grunted, ignoring him, "Fuck off."

Grimmjow chuckled, running his tongue over the shell of Ichigo's ear, "Get up or I might keep you prisoner here for the rest of the day."

"Nnn," Ichigo protested, a hand pushing against Grimmjow's chest, the other rubbing over his face. He was still trying to wake up, so Grimmjow gave him a minute. Ichigo stretched out, relaxing back against his pillow, staring at Grimmjow with buttery soft brown eyes. Grimmjow felt himself get hard, but now was no time to be fooling around.

"What time is it?" Ichigo mumbled, rubbing his eyes again and sitting up straight. He looked over at his window to see the vertical blinds letting in a generous amount of light, so he knew it had to be at least late morning.

"Almost four," Grimmjow said, getting out of bed and grabbing his jeans, "We gotta go. You got a band to meet and some contracts to sign."

Ichigo hurtled out of the bed, dancing around the room for fresh clothes, "shit shit shit! We slept in too late! Fuck how am I going to be ready in time?"

Grimmjow grinned at the berry as he continued to put on his clothes, not worried one bit, "It doesn't matter what you wear, Ichigo. They're gonna love you."

Ichigo paused a moment, holding a lime green t-shirt he had been assessing, "You…you think so?"

"Yeah," Grimmjow replied, feeling his heart squeeze as the berry smiled briefly before turning away to find an appropriate outfit. What the fuck was that about? His heart had been doing that a lot lately, and that scared the hell out of him.

It wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling, just extremely foreign. Grimmjow could never remember a time his heart had acted in such a way, not with anybody. Anyone he had ever fucked, anybody he had ever given two shits about, nobody. His friends didn't count, that was a bond kind of thing, not this heart-crunching sensation, like when Ichigo turned his head, his breath would hitch. Or like when Ichigo smiled or his eyes just looked clear and concentrated, Grimmjow thought he would never stop being horny.

Shit, he didn't want to think about it right now. They were tight on time, so he shoved the thoughts away and pulled on his black Chucks.

Ichigo came out of the bathroom several minutes later, his hair gelled, his white shirt clean. Tight ripped jeans and baby blue Chucks finished off the look, and Grimmjow saw Ichigo blushing.

"I – I need to do my laundry, I don't really have anything else decent…"

"You're perfect," Grimmjow said, kissing him quickly on the mouth. Grimmjow could have sworn he heard Ichigo sigh, but he wasn't sure, "We can grab some breakfast on the way. You ready?"

Ichigo looked nervous, but he had Zangetsu slung over his shoulder in a black carrying bag, his eyes steady, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Grimmjow grinned, grabbing his boyfriend's hand and pulling him towards the front door.

**XXX**

They had grabbed some banana nut muffins from a street corner as Grimmjow drove them furiously through the busy streets, trying to get to the recording studio Aizen had booked for the afternoon. The meeting with Yoruichi Entertainment had gone smoothly and Espada was now set to be the opening act for the Kanonji Festival. Ichigo had seemed floored about that, saying he had been excited to perform as one of the lesser bands, Soul Society. It was actually a competition, a battle of the bands of sorts for Karakura, so it was a big deal to local bands. Grimmjow knew that Soul Society was entered, but he didn't know how that would effect the berry.

Basically, he would be ABOVE the competition by being the opening act. Ichigo was jumping from local to national fame; he didn't have to worry about that shit head Renji ever again. So why did Ichigo's eyes dim as Grimmjow talked about the Kanonji Festival?

"We entered last year, but we had barely been together two months. We sucked," Ichigo mused, grinning, "but we got better. Practiced our asses off. Played any gig we could get our hands on. We…they, have a good shot this year."

And that was the end of that. Grimmjow pulled into the parking garage, hopping out and Ichigo followed him to the elevators. The second floor was sparkling white, white on white on white. White everywhere. It was kind of unsettling actually, but Ichigo just followed Grimmjow, or rather, walked at his side. He was so nervous he was sweating. He commanded himself to get it together, but the pit of his stomach felt like it was on fire and bile threatened his throat.

His hand reached halfway out, but then immediately went back to his side. What the fuck? Had he seriously just tried to hold Grimmjow's hand? What the fuck was wrong with him? And in public! Well, there wasn't anybody in the hallway right now accept for a dark-haired secretary who smiled at Grimmjow as the couple went through another set of white double doors, the aisles marked with numbers.

Grimmjow's hand shot out to grab Ichigo's, his fingers gripping tightly, "If ya wanna hold my hand, Ichi, just ask."

Ichigo felt flames licking at his face as he blushed, "Jesus, I'm just…dammit."

Grimmjow stopped in the hallway, not letting go of Ichi's hand, "Look at me."

Ichigo met Grimmjow's intense eyes and almost drew in a shuttering breath.

"You're fantastic, Ichi. Don't DOUBT yourself, just BE yourself," Grimmjow said, giving him a quick peck on the lips and continuing their brisk walk down the corridor.

They came to a final door marked Studio 5. Ichigo released his hand from Grimmjow, suddenly intimidated. Was it okay for the band to know they were interested in each other? He didn't want to make a scene in front of all these new people, especially if they were all going to be working together.

And besides, he didn't want the band thinking Grimmjow was doing this to keep Ichigo around as a sex partner.

Ichigo blushed at the thought, but it was true. If they were dating, it was eventually going to come to that, not that they hadn't already fooled around enough already for a couple that had known each other for barely four days. But he didn't want the band to label him as a glorified groupie; he wanted to earn a spot in the band through his talent and hard work.

Besides, he WASN'T gay.

Grimmjow opened the door and stepped inside, Ichigo following, and the music was instantly intense.

There were screens, monitors, and all kinds of sound equipment set up as the band played behind the glass. A pink-haired man sat at the control booth with a tall, dark haired man in a white suit, their backs turned to Grimmjow and Ichigo. The pink-haired man was controlling the volume and synching what needed to be done with the music. Ichigo wasn't sure if this was just practice or if this was an actual recording, but the music blew him away.

Ichigo immediately recognized the intro guitar riff to Waking the Demon, and he felt his veins catch with fire as he instantly felt the urge to mosh. He loved this song, it was his favorite by the band by far, and he couldn't help having a shit-eating grin plastered on his face as he bobbed to the music.

Grimmjow nodded his head in time to the music, not miffed in the least that the band had gotten started without him. Ichigo's eyes traveled over the members behind the glass who were so caught up in the music they weren't staring out and being aware of the world around them. Ichigo started with the lead electric guitarist, Stark Coyote. His fingers flew over the strings so quickly Ichigo's fingers itched to play along with him. His face was peaceful, his eyes closed most of the time as if he was doing his favorite pastime: sleep. The second guitarist, the only female in the band, Halibel, was shredding right behind Stark. Ichigo couldn't help but ogle her: she was a knock out beauty, her caramel skin exposed nearly everywhere in the white ensemble, her large breasts nearly falling out of her "shirt".

The drumbeats were getting insane, so Ichigo stared at Nnoitra Jiruga, the tallest and scariest member of the band. His face looked maniacal as he grinned showing all of his teeth. A white bandana was tied around his head, covering his right eye. His black hair was stick straight and long, but he let it fly as he raped the drum set with those sticks. His beats were so fast and intricate, Ichigo wondered if Nnoitra had four arms.

The bassist, Ulquiorra Schiffer, was screaming the lyrics as he played. Ichigo could only remember three songs off their last album that Ulquiorra had helped with, and his voice was much sweeter than Grimmjow's, almost haunting. Ichigo noticed that he was extremely pale, his raven black hair styled smooth in front and jagged in the back, and a green line of make up ran down from each eye as if he were crying green tears. It would have been eerie on anybody else, but Ulquiorra's large, emerald green eyes made it work. From the pictures and interviews Ichigo had seen on t.v. and the internet, Ulquiorra was one of the few men in the world who could pull off make up and make it look sexy. His lip ring glinted in the studio lighting.

The song played out, and the pink-haired dude at the control station pushed a button and spoke into a receiver, "Excellent, as always. Break time, kiddies."

Ichigo had been so caught up in staring, he hadn't realized the intimidating and tall man in the white suit had turned around and was doing some staring of his own. The man's brown hair was slicked back, his brown eyes inquisitive but strong. Just the way the man stood intimidated Ichigo, like the brute power of the man's energy could make him stand still or get on his knees.

"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki," the man said, making his way towards him with his hands in his suit pockets. He took out his large right hand, offering it. Ichigo took it, trying not to show how nervous he was, "I am Sosuke Aizen, manager and agent of Espada."

THIS was Aizen? In all the interviews and snapshots Ichigo had ever seen on primetime t.v, the mentioned manager had thick-rimmed glasses and frumpy brown hair and was almost never seen in a suit. His speech was much more gentle, too. The man standing before him was a completely different man. Strong, confident, and…sexy. He oozed all kind of appeal while still managing to make the hairs on the back of Ichigo's neck stand up at attention.

Aizen finally released his hand and stared at Grimmjow, "Glad to see you return as well, Grimmjow. Perhaps next time you decide to go gallivanting around town, you would care to let me know?"

"You can yell at me later," Grimmjow said, taking Ichigo's hand and dragging him towards the recording door, "Right now, Ichi's got friends to make."

"Hmph," the pink-haired dude with trendy glasses said, his arms folded over his chest, "Not even the decency to introduce the technician."

"That's Szayel Aporro," Grimmjow snapped, not even stopping, "Our techy-geek. He's the god of all things machine."

Szayel chuckled as Grimmjow opened the sound door, dragging Ichigo inside. Suddenly all eyes were on the pair and Ichigo felt his cheeks flame.

Nnoitra's grin nearly ate his face as his eyes locked on the berry, his eyes traveling Ichigo's body appreciatively, "So that's the strawberry, huh? Not bad, Grimm, not bad."

Ichigo pulled his hand away again, instantly self-conscious. He tried to look almost bored or nonchalant, but it wasn't working. He was too nervous.

Halibel approached him first, appraising him with her large golden eyes, her arms crossed over her huge chest, "Well, we'll have to work on the sex-appeal thing: the kid's too fuckin' cute for his own good."

"Cute's not a bad thing," Stark chimed in, his guitar resting on his legs as he sat on a stool, "Why's our image always got to be dripping in sex appeal?"

"Because SEX SELLS," Nnoitra drawled, laughing maniacally, "but cute? Shit, ship this berry off to one of those pop-star bands."

Ichigo could feel Grimmjow's tension rolling off of him in waves, but he didn't say anything.

Ichigo finally spoke up, "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Halibel said, shrugging, "you just don't look…impressive."

"He is," Grimmjow growled, looking like he might punch Halibel, "and since when do we care about our image? We dress and do whatever the fuck we want."

"Hell yeah we do!" Nnoitra cheered, standing up and coming closer from his drum set. Ichigo couldn't believe how tall he was; he had to be a few inches short of 7 feet. He towered over everyone in the room, and he was thin but he didn't look like a pushover either. He was wearing a pair of black pants covered in chains and a plain white wife beater. Ichigo started counting the guy's piercings but gave up when Stark started speaking:

"Yo, Ichigo," he called, a lazy smile on his face, "heard you're a guitarist as well. I wanna hear."

Stark was the most simple out of the group, his brown hair just past his shoulders, no piercings to be seen. He was sporting a half-sleeve tattoo of a rabid coyote with white glowing eyes. It was anime-like, it's jaws snapping, it's tongue lolling. Stark's white shirt wasn't buttoned up all the way, exposing his throat where there was a brilliant shark necklace covered in hundreds of shark teeth.

Ichigo swallowed a lump in his throat. This was it: his idol, Stark Coyote, one of the greatest guitarists ever in Ichigo's mind, wanted to hear him. Ichigo took his carrier bag off of his back and slowly unzipped his Zanpakuto. Stark's was white with some stripes of red: Ichigo had forgotten the name of it he was so nervous. Soon Zangetsu was in his hands and he felt a little bit better. His heart wasn't pounding as hard, and when he had it plugged into an amp, he felt even better.

"What do you want me to play?" Ichigo asked, looking only at Stark.

Stark put a hand on his chin in contemplation while Ulquiorra just looked bored.

"Hmm, can you play any of our songs?" Stark asked.

Ichigo nodded, his fingers twitching.

"Then how about what we just played?" Halibel challenged, her arms still resting underneath her ridiculously-huge rack, "Waking the Demon? The intro…unless it's too complicated for you."

"To be honest, it's my favorite song," Ichigo said, smiling despite himself. The song just gave him so much energy, and he had been learning it for a few months. He hadn't perfected it yet, but he was willing to try. Even if he didn't impress them, he was still ready to play.

Grimmjow just looked at him before walking over to the wall and leaning against it, waiting. His eyes never left Ichigo's face as Ichigo took a deep breath, closing his eyes to prepare himself.

Stark nodded towards the sound booth, and Ichigo didn't know that Szayel was already recording.

Ichigo hesitated for only a moment, than his fingers began to fly over the keys.

There was complete silence as Ichigo continued, each riff as intricate as the one before it. He only stumbled once, but quickly covered it with a side riff he had been playing with for a while and got right back on track. Of course the other band members noticed, but Stark had an eyebrow raised as if it was a good surprise.

A few minutes later, it was over, and Ichigo stood, waiting for a reaction.

"Well, Strawberry's got some moves," Halibel conceded, going over to the wall and selecting a beautiful acoustic, "But I want to hear this voice that Grimmjow won't shut up about."

Stark sighed, "Stop being a bitch, Hal. He's been here five minutes."

"It's okay," Ichigo said, taking Zangetsu off his shoulder and replacing it with the acoustic.

"I'm in the mood for something…heart breaking," Ulquiorra said, staring blankly at Ichigo.

"Yeah," Nnoitra sneered, standing against the wall by Grimmjow, his eye locked on the berry, "somethin' fuckin' sappy, Strawberry."

Ichigo thought a moment, wondering why they wanted something soft. Secretly Ichigo preferred singing vigorous and fast songs, but he did have a soft spot for sap, so he thought a little bit longer before deciding on a song.

"Sure," Ichigo nodded, strumming. His fingers danced over the strings as he began:

"Katie don't cry I know…you're trying your hardest, and the hardest part is letting go of the nights we shared…Okala is calling…and you know it's haunting but compared to your eyes nothing shines quite as bright and when we look to the sky it's not mine but I want it so…let's not pretend like you're alone tonight…I know he's there, and…you're probably hanging out and making nice…while across the room he stares. I bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor and ask my girl to dance…she'll say yes…because these words were never easier for me to say or her to second guess, but I guess…that I can live without you, but…without you I'll be miserable at best."

The silence was deafening as Ichigo continued, closing his eyes most of the time. It was a bittersweet song about first love, how one is forced to watch another move on without them, leaving them cold and alone. For some reason, Ichigo couldn't help picturing Rukia and Renji. Rukia had called and apologized and cried and done her fair share, but Ichigo had been bitter to the end. Even Renji's apologies had left him feeling hollow. For some reason, this song had just come to him, and maybe it was his experience in that department that allowed him to fill the song with his own soul and sing as if no one was listening to him right now.

Several minutes later, he finished, staring up and almost immediately locking eyes with Grimmjow.

"Fuck," Nnoitra wheezed, his violet purple eye resting on Ichigo, "where the fuck did you find this kid, Grimmjow?"

"I almost cried," Stark said. Ichigo looked at him to make sure he wasn't being sarcastic. It seemed genuine, so he let it slide.

"I'm impressed," Ulquiorra murmured, his emerald eyes resting on Ichigo's, "I trust Grimmjow's judgment. If this is the voice, then I'm in."

"Me too," Stark added.

"Shit," Nnoitra said, finally sitting back at his drums, "Definitely."

Grimmjow shot Halibel a coy smile, "Whad'ya think, Hal?"

Halibel fought a grin, but instead, she walked over and gave Ichigo a big hug, and Ichigo couldn't help but admire the feel of her giant breasts against him. She was so warm. She finally pulled back, a small grin on her face, "You passed all the tests. You're not a push over, or a pussy, and you got a voice I want to hear again, so…welcome, Ichigo."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he knew he was blushing when he mumbled, "Thanks."

"Very nice, Ichigo," Szayel's voice purred on the intercom, "I'll be distributing that last performance on mini discs for the public. They need to get a taste of the newest member of Espada."

"What?" Ichigo said, confused, "you…recorded that?"

"Absolutely," Szayel said, winking at him through the glass, "and I'm glad I did. A sweet and sensitive debut from a delectable strawberry."

"But this band isn't about sweet and sensitive," Aizen continued, his voice booming over the speaker as he looked through the glass, his face a mask, "There is a lot of work to be done, Ichigo Kurosaki, if you expect to debut with the band at Zaraki's."

"Zaraki's?" Ichigo could barely contain his excitement. Zaraki's was an exclusive club in Karakura: it was invitation only and extremely hard to get into. Zaraki himself was a legend in the music world. Retired now, but still a kick-ass musician with an obsession for the best. In fact, Yoruichi Entertainment was a co-partner, "That's insane!"

"You perform there in three days," Aizen continued, "Impress the public and I will draw up the contracts necessary to make you a permanent member."

Perform with the band at Zaraki's as a test? Ichigo didn't know if he was going to pee his pants from excitement or from fear, "Th – thank you."

Stark smiled, "Welcome to the team, Ichigo."

Nnoitra slapped his sticks together to get some attention, "We ain't gonna just sit around. Let's hammer this bitch!"

Grimmjow grinned and grabbed the nearest microphones as Halibel and Ulquiorra scrambled to their guitars. Grimmjow shoved a microphone in Ichigo's hands, his eyes heated and sending blood to Ichigo's groin, "Feel free to join in, Ichi." Ichigo spluttered for something to say, but Grimmjow had already moved away from him, consulting with the others, "Hit it! 1, 2, 3, 4…!"

**XXX**

A few hours later, Stark was asleep on the couch in the exclusive suite while Ulquiorra talked quietly to Halibel. Ichigo sat across a small white table from Grimmjow, trying to think of something to say. It was still so…unreal.

Being surrounded by them, hanging with them, trying to become a part of them. It was as if he were a young antelope being thrown into a pit of hyenas, the beasts circling him, waiting for him to have a moment of weakness before they tore at his flesh and laughed their maniacal laughter as they gorged themselves on his body…

"Yo," Grimmjow said, tapping his hand, "Time to come back to earth."

Ichigo shook his head and grabbed the Coke sitting next to him, taking a chug. Damn, if only it were alcohol he could forget how nervous and strange he felt. Then again, alcohol hadn't been his friend lately and he tended to be a complete moron when he was drunk and he would just embarrass himself, "I'm here. Promise."

Grimmjow just stared at him, his arms crossed over his chest like he didn't buy the bullshit, "Chill, Ichi. They're not going to eat you."

"I know," Ichigo shot back, getting defensive. Was Grimmjow psychic? He was just so on edge, and it didn't help that Aizen and most of the band mates were as intimidating as hell.

"Oi!" boomed Nnoitra's voice from the front door as he slammed it in a poor sap's face, "Pizza's here!"

Nnoitra approached the table with five huge pizzas, throwing them down unceremoniously before grabbing a box and sitting in one of the other available chairs and eating a piece.

"Dig in," Grimmjow encouraged, serving himself up a slice of pepperoni. Halibel and Ulquiorra wandered over, both selecting theirs. Ichigo stood up to lean over across the table to grab the pepperoni that was out of his reach when he felt a long hand slide over his ass.

WHAM! went Ichigo's instinctual reaction from years of Karate and Taekwondo.

He had used a reliable elbow move, his leg now hooked in the air, bent at the knee, his balance solid. It was muscle memory at its best: he hadn't needed to use the kick, but it was there, ready, if he had needed to defend himself.

"Fuck!" Nnoitra screeched, lying on the floor, a hand over his face, "Motherfucker! You coulda broken my nose!"

Grimmjow was standing up on the other side of the table, his body tensed to spring. Ichigo had never seen him look so angry, "Fucker, touch him again and I'll make sure it breaks."

Halibel chuckled and Stark sat up on the couch, woken by the commotion, "What's going on, boys?"

"Tch," Nnoitra said, sitting back up at the table as Ichigo relaxed and let his leg down, "Fuck, just wanted ta see if that ass was as soft as it looked's'all."

"Sorry," Ichigo murmured, embarrassed.

"What the fuck you apologizing for?" Grimmjow growled, his eyes flicking back over to Nnoitra, "and since when do you make a move on a band member, ass hole?"

Nnoitra rolled his visible eye, pointing a finger at Stark, "Then how come Coyote gets to fuck around with Hal? S'not like you're yellin' at him."

Stark grinned as Halibel stood there, blushing like a virgin. Ulquiorra quietly continued to eat his pizza as if none of this was going on.

"Because that was a long time ago," Halibel finally spluttered, slapping Nnoitra upside the head.

"Hah," Nnoitra said, his grin gigantic, "So says the moaning whore next door! If you're not fuckin' with Stark, who the fuck you been fuckin' with this past week?"

Halibel cussed up a storm and kept hitting Nnoitra as he tried to protect his poor head.

"Me," Ulquiorra said, sucking on his black lip ring.

Halibel stopped smacking Nnoitra a second, everyone staring at Ulquiorra in fascination. His face was expressionless as he looked from Ichigo to Nnoitra, "He's off limits, Nnoitra. Leave Ichigo alone."

Ichigo was stunned: Ulquiorra, the mysterious and cool (not to mention total player) was standing up for him. Halibel still hadn't recovered or thought of anything to say, so she slapped Nnoitra hard enough to make his head spin and he cursed her up and down.

"We're not together," Ulquiorra added, a hand running through his black hair, "it was convenient, that's all."

"You, you…!" Halibel raged, moving up to get in Ulquiorra's face, who was still as composed as ever, "You little bastard!"

Stark held up a hand, as if he was waiting to be called on by the teacher, "I'm available, Halley, if you need to, uh, work out that sexual frustration."

"Fuck all of you!" Halibel screamed, heading to the door.

"That's the idea," Stark murmured, scratching his head absently like he didn't understand her anger; as if they had been having a conversation about the weather. Ichigo wondered if this was how they acted all the time and was surprised that they were this unbelievably casual about sex. Especially since sex within a band was usually taboo: members getting involved with each other usually ended in disaster and segregated the band.

Halibel screamed at the tops of her lungs, slamming it behind her with enough force that a picture frame rocked off of the wall and shattered on the floor.

"Are you guys…always like this?" Ichigo finally asked, holding a piece of cheese pizza.

"Not always," Grimmjow murmured, punching Nnoitra in the arm.

"Jesus, what the fuck is your problem?" Nnoitra hissed, rubbing his arm absently.

"That's for being an ass hole and getting Hal all worked up," Grimmjow said, then pointed a finger at Ulquiorra, "And Schif, I love your blunt nature bro, but you seriously gotta work on that sensitivity thing."

Ulquiorra nodded once and picked up another piece of pizza, "She is rather…touchy."

The room burst into laughter, Ulquiorra even letting out a little chuckle. It wasn't often that Ulquiorra wasn't serious in nature, but that statement had loosened up the room.

"Well, since the PMS Princess has left the building," Stark drawled, joining the table to grab his own pizza, "How about we go have some fun?"

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes, "The last time we went out…it didn't end well, Stark."

"Hey, that officer had it coming, and we didn't have to pay that much off in damages," Stark defended, swallowing down another piece of pizza, "Besides, I'm thinking of our favorite place, and it's a Friday night."

Ichigo's eyes shot to everybody in the room, watching the grins form. Even Grimmjow's eyes were lit up with excitement.

Nnoitra licked his lips with his massively long tongue, "Heeeee, hahahaha!"

"You up for it, Ichi?" Stark asked, a smirk on his face, "you're a rock star now: it's time to party like one."

Ichigo's smile was in danger of eating his face, "What'd'ya got in mind?"

Nnoitra was practically shivering with excitement and was laughing as Ulquiorra's eyes shined in what could only be anticipation. Grimmjow grinned at him, "Las Noches."

**Wooo! Party time! I wanted to continue the chapter but I thought a little cliffy wouldn't hurt you guys. Besides, partying like a rock star deserves its own chapter, don't you think? ;)**

**Will update soon. Please review! ~thePetulantProdigy**

**This chapter was absolute CRAP but I really wanted to introduce the band xD**

*Sorry it was so bad, I am just lost on how to keep it moving. I know what I want to do, but, it's…I don't know! GRRRRRR. ANYWAYS, I'm trying to keep the characters in character, but I honestly don't know anything about Halibel, so she's going to be extremely OOC (sorry).

Hope you're as excited as I am about Ichigo finally being a member! HOORAY! [Waking the Demon by Bullet for my Valentine. The second song was Miserable at Best by Mayday Parade]. Please listen to them if you want to know what inspired me

See you soon ~ PetulantProdigy


	8. Move If You Wanna

Chapter Eight: Move if You Wanna

The music blared, the lights flashed, and everybody was on the dance floor. Ichigo hadn't even gotten any alcohol in his system yet, but he still felt a high unlike any other. Las Noches was a club he had never heard of in a city about an hour from Karakura. It was the weekend, so Ichigo wasn't too concerned about work or school. All he cared about at the moment was the atmosphere and the hundreds of bodies pressed together in the heated space. All around him were bodies bumping, grinding, and having more fun than anybody else who were fucking sleeping in the nocturnal hours.

They had gotten to the club around eleven and had walked in like fucking rock stars, the bouncers nodding at them and not even asking for i.d. or waiting in pussy lines.

And when the boys of Espada walked into a room, they fucking commanded attention.

If Ichigo had been a club attendee, the first thing he would have seen come through the doors was Grimmjow in all his glory, dressed to slay. His wild hair was gelled up in his usual style, his eyes bright and fierce, his body moving sleek as a panther, his shit-eating grin plastered to his face. Flanking him on either side the other members emerged, wearing various ensembles in white and black, although none of them looked similar like they were boy scouts. Ichigo was on Grimmjow's left, Ulquiorra on his right, followed by Stark and Nnoitra on the outer edges, intimidating yet sexy sharks on the outer perimeters.

Dammit, Ichigo could get used to an entry like that.

Almost every head in the place turned, even the people dancing kept sneaking glances as they glided across the floor, heading to the upper-platform where the V.I.P tables were located. It was insane to Ichigo, but he was here to have some fun.

He kept craning his head around, keeping his eye out for Hitsugaya. He had given Byakuya and Hitsugaya a call earlier, telling them to meet up with them at the club, that it was cool with the Espada that they crashed. Byakuya had mysteriously declined, but Ichigo didn't think much of it. He was a very busy college student and was double majoring, so it didn't hurt his feelings that he declined. As for Hitsugaya, he had nearly had a seizure on the phone over such an opportunity and said he would be there around twelve.

Stark, Ulquiorra and Nnoitora got their drink on almost immediately, doing shots while Grimmjow reclined on the leather seat-couch, looking untouchable and dead-ass sexy. Ichigo's eyes kept straying over to him, and several times Stark had caught his eye and smirked an 'oh-so-that's-what's-goin'-on' look. Nnoitra was too busy binge drinking, not at all tasteful like Stark and Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra ordered something tall and green-tinted, sipping it occasionally as he relaxed. Ichigo couldn't get over how casual the group seemed right now: no one would ever think these boys acted like five year olds and harassed their female band member. Ichigo knew that they had been screwing around and not taking anything seriously, but Ichigo wondered if Halibel was still somewhat angry. Or maybe she was laughing about it too, but somehow Ichigo doubted it.

But right now, he didn't know how these boys pulled it off. The nonchalance, the air of superiority while still being chill and cool looking. And not to forget, drop dead gorgeous. Women were circling them like barracuda, talking to other girls about their favorites and speculations and whether they should introduce themselves, some of them looking like heiresses of fortunes. These were the beautiful people, the people who hired other people to wipe the shit off of their shoes, and now Ichigo was one of these people, and he didn't know how to feel about it.

"Do shots with me, Grimm," Nnoitra said grinning, snapping his fingers at an extremely attractive bartender, "Shots all around, sweetie pie."

The girl's face flushed and she nodded, hurrying off to the private bar on their platform.

"I'm good," Grimmjow said, refusing the one that was set in front of him a few minutes later.

"What the fuck? You don't drink no more?" Nnoitra chortled, downing his quickly, "Or you tryin' to impress the Strawberry?"

Ichigo, not wanting to put Grimmjow in an awkward situation, took his shot up and downed it, slapping it back down on the glass table in front of him.

"Oooh," Nnoitra laughed, holding another shot of vodka, "the Strawberry's challenging me?"

Ichigo grinned, laying back on his side of the couch, arms across his chest, "Gotta get this party started some time, don't we? I need somethin' in my system before I start shakin' my ass."

Everyone at the table laughed, even Ulquiorra offered a crooked smile. Grimmjow tentatively picked up his shot, his eyes on Ichigo as he downed it and set it down back in front of him, "Then let's show these dipshits how it's done, huh?"

Skip forward to the present. They had been on the dance floor for the better part of an hour when Hitsugaya's white head was finally visible in the crowd. Ichigo introduced him to the group, not bothering to tell Tosh all the band member's names. He knew them by heart already.

Nnoitora was off with a few chicks, one of the tallest people in there, grinding and a few movements from having sex on the dance floor. Stark was lost somewhere in the crowd as well, while Toshiro had stuck close with Ulquiorra, of all people.

Ichigo honestly hadn't seen that one coming. Of course Toshiro was gay and had no trouble telling people about that, but Ulquiorra? Ichigo saw him with Halibel in his mind's eye and couldn't put the picture together that was in front of him.

Of course by this point they had gotten a few drinks in their system, and it didn't take much to get Hitsugaya going. At the moment Ulquiorra was behind Hitsugaya, grinding into him sensually and slowly, Hitsugaya's face flushed like a virgin. Of course Hitsugaya had some moves of his own and as long as his friend was all right, Ichigo had no complaints.

But the fast rap tracks eventually moved to hot-and-heavy, and Ichigo sucked in a breath when Grimmjow wrapped his arms around him from behind, his obvious arousal poking Ichigo in the ass. The lyrics floated around him as Ichigo moved his ass slowly against Grimmjow, enjoying the low growl from the blunette:

I lose all control

When you grab a hoe

And you do your trick

I love it when you…lick…

You've got lock and key,

Every part of me,

Know what makes me tick,

I love it when you…lick…

The army of bodies were packed in tight now, the heat and the closeness consuming Ichigo. He had only had three shots so he knew it wasn't the booze talking as Grimmjow continued the sensual dance, his large hands squeezing gently on Ichigo's lean hips. He thought his heart was going to beat right out of his chest.

He leaned his head back against Grimmjow's shoulder, raising his arms up and tangling them around Grimmjow's neck as they continued to sway. Grimmjow, encouraged by this, started placing kisses on the back of Ichigo's neck, finally working to his ear. Ichigo moaned, pulling at Grimmjow's hair as his heart thundered in his head. He was about to go into sensory overload.

SHIT. The berry was fucking TEASING him right now, and Grimmjow didn't think he could control himself much longer. He was about ready to fuck the berry brainless on the dance floor, which was the most public display of affection Grimmjow would have ever done in his life.

He tried to reign in his carnal desires, knowing he hadn't drunk nearly enough to be this frisky. It was the berry, his scent, his body, his everything. Grimmjow had never wanted something so bad in his life, and he hoped Ichigo felt the same way because there was no way he was going to let the berry walk away from this.

Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow's hands, holding them at his sides, his hips thrusting backwards into Grimmjow, surprising Grimmjow enough to make him gasp, "Shit, Ichi."

Then Ichigo tugged him by one arm, leading Grimmjow through the throngs of people, pushing past sweating bodies until Grimmjow could make out the dim sign that pointed to the bathrooms.

Ichigo unceremoniously bashed through the door, selecting the closest stall. He didn't even have time to appreciate how nice the V.I.P bathroom was: all shiny and marble. Shaky fingers latched the door closed as he tried to shove Grimmjow against the stall wall, but Grimmjow was already there.

Hungry lips met Grimmjow's. They battled for dominance, nipping and sucking and eventually biting in their testosterone-driven state. Grimmjow gripped at Ichigo's shoulders, trying to pull him back, trying to clear his head, "Fuck, not here, Ichigo. You deserve better than this."

"I don't fucking care where we are," Ichigo argued, tugging at Grimmjow's shirt so his hands could run over the cut and muscled plains of his chest, "just...I need you right now."

Grimmjow groaned, trying to control his inner demon as he held Ichigo's wrists, "Follow me."

Grimmjow opened the stall and tugged Ichigo out of the bathroom and down another hallway, a side hallway that Ichigo hadn't seen. Grimmjow knew that these were private rooms, but one was almost always on reserve for his band if they felt like drinking in privacy. There wouldn't be anybody to bother them there.

Grimmjow passed a bouncer who did nothing but nod in acknowledgement as he pushed through a set of doors marked in kanji and into the small private space. Several inviting couches and a table greeted them, a fully stocked bar in the corner. They could faintly hear the bass as the music changed to an underground techno, and Ichigo seemed to have lost part of his nerve.

"You still want this?" Grimmjow asked, hands on Ichigo's hips.

Ichigo nodded, somehow shy. Grimmjow gently lifted his chin to meet the kiss, being careful to control himself. After all, a moment ago he had been ready to maul the redhead, and right now he wasn't sure if that would scare the berry away.

Ichigo moaned in his mouth: that was an encouraging sign.

Grimmjow slowly pulled Ichigo towards the couch, being careful as he got the berry down on it and got on top of him, being careful to hold his weight up so he wouldn't crush the smaller man. Ichigo's hands fisted in Grimmjow's shirt, trying to get across a message.

"So impatient," Grimmjow chuckled, removing his shirt quickly and without much effort. Ichigo quickly slipped his white shirt over his head and threw it to the side, resuming the kiss they had been building earlier. Oh, but this felt amazing. They hadn't even done anything yet, but the skin-to-skin contact was enough for both their dicks to harden. How many times had Grimmjow pictured this, and here the berry was, fulfilling that daydream? He was almost ready to cum from excitement, but he had to make this good for his berry.

Grimmjow slowly began to nibble down Ichigo's neck, making slow progress over his collarbone, chest, and ribcage, nipping and licking his way to the berry's belly button. Ichigo kept tensing and relaxing, his breath hitching as Grimmjow's teeth pulled slowly on the zipper to Ichigo's black pants.

"You okay?" Grimmjow asked huskily, bumping foreheads, "I can stop, Ichi. Just tell me what you want."

Ichigo shook his head from side to side, his face enflamed. Was that a yes or a no? His berry had gotten rather shy in the heat of the moment. Grimmjow, his eyes still on Ichigo's, snapped the final button on Ichigo's pants, waiting for a reaction.

Ichigo covered his face with both hands, as if he were about to start bawling. Oh shit, if he made the berry cry he'd never forgive himself.

"Oi," Grimmjow said, leaning over him again and kissing Ichigo's knuckles, "Ichi…"

Ichigo mumbled something, but it was hard to hear with his hands covering his face.

Grimmjow carefully pried a hand away from Ichigo's face. Grimmjow grinned when he saw the berry's eyes were screwed shut tight, like he was trying to make himself invisible, "Couldn't hear ya. What was that, Romeo?"

Ichigo took a deep breath, his eyes still closed, mumbling again, "…to do."

"What?" Grimmjow repeated, not knowing whether to be annoyed or laugh, "I can't hear you."

Ichigo finally opened his eyes, taking another steadying breath, "I don't know what to do. I'm embarrassed."

Oh shit, Ichigo was so fucking CUTE. Grimmjow groaned, trying to control his twitching Grimmjow Junior. When he could think clearly again he spoke, "I like you, Ichigo. I want you so bad I can't think straight…"

"I doubt you've EVER thought STRAIGHT," Ichigo said, smirking.

Grimmjow couldn't help but leer back at him, "I've always known, Ichi. Never a doubt in my mind that I wanted a man, but I know that's not the same for you. But, it doesn't matter how much I'm into you if you're not feeling the same thing, and it's not fair to either of us if this isn't what you want. So, you gotta tell me."

Ichigo leaned up and kissed Grimmjow softly on the mouth, surprising him. Ichigo broke it off, his face still red, "Shit, if I wasn't into you, there's no way I'd be here right now. It's just…damn it…I never even thought about…me being…gay."

"Maybe I'm just extremely persuasive," Grimmjow grinned.

"Fuck you," Ichigo said, nipping Grimmjow's chin.

Grimmjow shrugged, "I'm willing to experiment."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh: fuck, why was it so easy to be with him? They were so natural together it was nearly sickening. And in only a couple of days? That didn't happen to Ichigo: of course he was scared, but he was more infatuated with Grimmjow in these last couple days than he had been in nearly two years with Rukia. Maybe the issue had been his sexuality; maybe he had been too worried in what his family would want, what society deemed "normal". Maybe this entire time, all he had been waiting for was somebody like Grimmjow to show him the light.

Besides, Grimmjow was the greatest kisser Ichigo had ever had the pleasure of meeting, and if he wasn't running away screaming or throwing up, obviously his mind and body had no problem accepting a man's touch.

No, definitely not, especially since Grimmjow's hand was now on Ichigo's half-hard member.

"Sh-shit," Ichigo moaned as Grimmjow squeezed lightly, "F-fuck, Grimm."

"I'm getting to that," Grimmjow murmured, his tongue laving over Ichigo's pectorals. Ichigo was completely incoherent as Grimmjow began to nip and tease his sensitive nipples. Was Ichigo really making those girly moans? Seriously? It wasn't him, was it?

Ichigo hadn't even heard Grimmjow unzip his own jeans and pull out his cock, but Ichigo felt it when Grimmjow rubbed their erections together, the friction sending blood boiling to the pit of his stomach. Everything seemed to ache, but in a fiery good way, a pleasurable way. Both cocks were weeping at this point with pre-cum as Grimmjow continued to pump them together as they kissed, biting both trying to dominate the kisses. Both of their breathing was becoming irregular and haggard as the heat, sensation, and friction made Ichigo buck his hips forward, making Grimmjow growl deep in his throat.

Grimmjow's teeth latched onto Ichigo's earlobe, tugging before snaking his amazing tongue into his ear.

Ichigo mewled: if he could purr, he would have. Ichigo was surprised to know that his hips were rocking against Grimmjow's as he felt the tight ball in his stomach begin to intensify, his cock aching, "Grimm, I'm gonna-"

"Me too," Grimmjow shuddered pumping them even harder and more vigorous than before. Ichigo tensed, yelling out as he came, warm seed spilling over his and Grimmjow's chest as Grimmjow came only moments later. Grimmjow tapped foreheads with Ichigo, trying to steady his breath. Both of them needed a moment to compose themselves, and Grimmjow slid his tongue into Ichigo's mouth, dragging his tongue out so that he could bite it gently. Ichigo moaned again, amazed that his dick could be responding to the attention already.

Grimmjow slowly got off of him and they cleaned up in silence and found their shirts. Ichigo wanted to say something, but what should he say? This was the first time they had done anything like that without being hammered; there were no excuses, no walls to throw up between them. It actually made Ichigo nervous.

"Grimm," Ichigo said finally, sighing, "that, um, was really good."

Grimmjow turned towards him, cracking a grin, "Yeah, really good."

"So, uh," Ichigo said quietly, staring at nothing in particular before having the balls to look Grimmjow in the eyes, "So, are we…you know…together?"

"I don't know," Grimmjow said, running a hand through his messy sexy hair.

"Oh," Ichigo said, sounding defeated.

Grimmjow grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking the berry off of the couch and latching his mouth onto his. Grimmjow laughed in his head when he felt the berry's knees buckle; it was extremely satisfying, "What the fuck do you think, Ichi? Wanna be my boyfriend?"

When Ichigo was coherent again, he nodded, his face flushed a brilliant red.

Grimmjow's heart flip-flopped and constricted: Jesus, he had never felt like this before. It was ridiculous how smitten he was with Ichigo; it wasn't natural for him, but it was a high unlike any Grimmjow had ever experienced.

Grimmjow made his way over to the small bar and poured them each a vodka shot and shoved one in Ichigo's hand, "How 'bout a toast?"

"To what?"

"To us," Grimmjow said, clinking their glasses together, "to Espada, to a…new journey."

"That's some deep shit," Ichigo said, smiling, "you're so poetic, Grimm."

"Shut up," he replied, downing his shot and waiting for Ichigo to down his before attacking him for another kiss.

Grimmjow didn't get far, however, when the doors to the private room flew open, revealing an extremely drunk Nnoitora followed by a half-drunk Stark.

"Yo, bitches," Nnoitora slurred, tripping over a chair and falling flat on his face, cackling madly.

Stark laughed at his stupid drunken band mate and took a seat in the chair Nnoitora had tripped by and put his feet over Nnoitora's unmoving back. Looked like the idiot had knocked himself out.

"So," Grimmjow said, his eyes flicking from Nnoitora's unconscious form to Stark's pink face, "you guys have been busy."

"We weren't the only ones," Stark said, offering a lop-sided grin, "Honestly, your transition from the dance floor to the bathroom wasn't exactly subtle, boys."

Ichigo's face burned fire engine red as Stark howled with laughter and Grimmjow couldn't help but laugh with him, "What can I say? Ichigo's…rather aggressive."

"You started it," Ichigo said, shoving Grimmjow in the shoulder, "Grinding on me like that, not to mention in public…"

"I like teasing you," Grimmjow said huskily, grinning when Ichigo's face seemed to get redder.

"So…we had enough fun yet?" Stark said, tapping his foot against Nnoitora's sleeping form, "Looks like Twinkle Toes down there has had enough for one night."

"Let's go," Grimmjow agreed, running a hand through his hair, "Aizen's probably having a bitch fit right now anyway."

Stark and Grimmjow helped walk Nnoitora out of the private room and down the labyrinth of hallways, the bass still pounding on the walls as they got nearer.

When they turned the next corner, Ichigo's eyes went wide, his mouth falling open.

Well, Hitsugaya had gotten extremely friendly in the past couple hours with one of his idols.

The band mates stopped and stared at the brazen public display of affection as Hitsugaya was currently pressed up against a wall. Hitsugaya was making mewling noises as Ulquiorra continued his assault on Hitsugaya's neck, possibly creating the world's greatest hickey. What was he, a fucking vampire bat?

Nnoitora began to cackle, his head flailing around in his drunken state, "Shit, everybody got some ass tonight 'cept fer me!"

Hitsugaya and Ulquiorra both turned slightly to stare at the interruption, Hitsugaya's aroused eyes clouded by booze. Ulquiorra's blank stare was back, as if he hadn't just been in the middle of satisfying a need. Unexpectedly, Ulquiorra looked from Hitsugaya's reddening face to Ichigo's, "Can I keep him?"

"Huh?" Ichigo said, looking between Ulquiorra and Hitsugaya before forming a coherent thought.

"Schif, seriously," Grimmjow said, shaking his head, "you just met him 3 hours ago."

Ulquiorra shrugged, his face still holding no emotion, his green eyes clear, "He's too smashed to drive home. We're responsible for his wellbeing. The least we can do is take him back to the hotel."

"So you can molest him some more?" Stark added, getting annoyed at carrying half of Nnoitora's weight and sighed, "but we can't leave him here. Far worse things could happen."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Hitsugaya whined, his arms still around Ulquiorra's shoulders, "I'm a big boy and can take care of myself!"

"Then act your age and get your ass in gear!" Ichigo said, grabbing Hitsugaya by the collar and dragging him down the rest of the hallway, the rest of the gang following behind.

Finally they had made it to the limo they had rented for the night, everyone piling in and nearly passing out. Everyone was too boozed up or tired to talk or complain, so the ride back to the hotel was peaceful.

But not before Ichigo got something off of his chest, "Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra's green eyes flicked over to him, his face a mask, "Yes?"

Ichigo stared at Hitsugaya, who was currently curled up on his side, his head resting on Ulquiorra lap as he snored softly, "He's one of my best friends. Hurt him and I'll break you."

Ulquiorra cocked his head to the side, "What makes you think I'm not serious?"

Grimmjow had nodded off, so Ichigo didn't have any back up, but he continued, "Well, Halibel..."

"I told you, I wasn't involved with her," Ulquiorra said, running a hand over Hitsugaya's white hair, "Last week was the last time: I told her I wouldn't sleep with her anymore and she got angry. Said I was…trash."

Ulquiorra's eyes were still intense, but Ichigo couldn't look away, "I'm serious about him."

"How could you know that?" Ichigo said, his arms crossed over his chest, "You've only known each other for a couple of hours."

"How long have you known Grimm?" Ulquiorra said calmly.

That caught Ichigo off guard: shit, he sure looked like a hypocrite right now, "Th-that's different."

"No, it's not."

**Sorry that was such a shitty ending xD**

**Reviews are Life and Love**


	9. Greedy Little Bastard

**First off, wanna thank everybody for supporting UlquiHitsu/Toshiora xD**

**And for those of you wondering, yes, the drama is officially going to begin! But please be gentle I am SO not a dramatic person: I'm too laid back for it so this might suck! =D**

**But I hope you guys all have fun anyways. And thanks for all the encouragement! I really appreciate it a lot and you all get GrimmIchi cookies for reading! *throws virtual cookies to starving readers ;P**

**This chap is for Overduse & Bengal: you guys are amazingggg and I love your suggestions. (And Overduse keeps all of my secrets! :x)**

**Okay enough chitchat on with the show…**

Chapter Nine: Greedy Little Bastard

"What the FUCK!" Halibel bellowed, kicking Nnoitora in the side, "you guys are so fucking DEAD!"

"OW!" Nnoitora yelled back, rolling over before kicking out with his own powerful legs, "Get the fuck away from me, bitch!"

"Fuck you!" Halibel countered, breathing heavily, "You bastards went out all night and today we were supposed to have a hardcore practice session-"

"You're just pissed we didn't invite'cha, bitch," Nnoitora scoffed, standing up off of the plush carpeted floor he had passed out on last night. Having gotten back from the club in the limo that early in the morning, everybody had careened out of the limo and made it to Stark's suite (it had been the closest of them all) in the nick of time before passing out all over the place.

Nnoitora, apparently, had chosen to sleep it off on the carpet nearest the door, so of course he had been the first person to get attacked by the raging outcast female. Nnoitora moaned as he rubbed his head, knowing he needed to get some aspirin and water for his hellish hangover headache. He saw Stark on the small white couch lying on his back, his head propped up at one end, his arms folded over his chest like he was a fucking rock star vampire or some shit. Nnoitora's one eye moved around to the other side of the room to see Ulquiorra splayed on the larger couch, his face content in sleep, the small, white-haired bitch (he had forgotten his name) was curled up on his side on the inside of the couch, his mouth hanging open as he drooled onto Schiff's chest.

Then Nnoitora grinned: so Grimmjow had gotten lucky TWICE in one night? The berry bitch was nowhere to be found, and neither was their fearless leader. So the bedroom, then.

But Halibel's kick-the-door-down-and-assault-the-closest-member-in-range attack had startled nearly everyone awake, or at least gotten them to moan in protest of the noise as they fought the small stream of light coming through the blinds on the large bay windows.

Shit, Nnoitora would remember to pass out somewhere decent next time so he wouldn't be a fuckin' human door stopper the next time Hal decided to take her female hormones out on everybody else, "Shit."

"Halibel," Ulquiorra's voice was as thick as syrup, "Please quiet down. We're exhausted."

"I'll bet you are, you greedy little bastard," Halibel said, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the white-haired young man attached to his side. Ulquiorra's arm was over Hitsugaya unconsciously as he ran his other hand over his face and hair, stretching slightly.

"Wait, where's Grimm?" Halibel said, making Nnoitora wonder how this broad could be any slower with the upkeep.

"Prob'ly bedroom," Nnoitora said, his leering grin unleashed, "Prob'ly fucked the berry senseless, the dirty slut."

"I fuckin' heard that, you prick," came a gravelly, hissing voice that could belong to nobody other than Grimmjow. The door to the bedroom had been open, and Grimmjow leaned in the doorway, his jeans slung low on his hips, his torso naked for the world to see, "What the fuck, Hal? You've never had a problem with a boy's night out before."

Halibel looked away a second then back, her arms now crossed over her chest, "I DON'T mind when you jerks go off and do whatever the hell it is that you do. The problem is that we had a SCHEDULE, and you guys do whatever the hell you want despite that. We got a performance in two days' time and the kid needs to be in the studio constantly if he's expected to perform with us that soon."

Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his hair and shifting his weight to his other leg, "it's only eleven. We'll meet in the studio at three: should give these other idiots enough time to nurse a hangover."

Halibel wanted to yell, it was obvious on her face and her body language said she was ready to fight, but the logic was winning, "Fine. It's gonna be a late night then: the berry needs all the time we can fit in."

"Don't worry about it," Stark offered, never opening his eyes but being privy to the conversation the entire time, "Ichigo's got the talent: just hope he's got the nerve."

"He'll be fine," Grimmjow added, glaring at Halibel before turning his back on her, "I'm goin' back 'ta bed. Go get a manicure or somethin'."

"Fuck you," Halibel hissed, turning around and marching out of the suite and, of course, slamming the door behind her.

"Shit," Nnoitora said, scratching at his balls, "Why'd'ya stop fuckin' her, Schiff? The bitch needs 'ta get laid, and laid soon."

Ulquiorra had either passed out again or was ignoring him with his eyes closed, so Nnoitora just mumbled "whatever" before passing out on the floor again, snoring away in only a couple of minutes.

**XXX**

At first, Ichigo was confused as to the time and place, but when he realized it was Grimmjow who was snoring next to him it made him almost giggle.

Aw shit. Giggle? He was becoming a fucking GIRL.

He tried to roll over, but that was kind of impossible with Grimmjow's steel grip around him, spooning him like the perfect fucking couple. Dammit, it was cute, though.

"Oi," Ichigo complained, finally managing to turn around in Grimmjow's arms and face his sleeping, sexy face. Shit, did he really want to wake that perfect face up? He looked so defenseless, so child-like in that moment Ichigo almost hesitated.

Almost. Whack!

"What the?" Grimmjow's eyes startled open, his arms tensing in reaction to the light smack on the head, "What the fuck was that for?"

"And you call ME a cuddle monster?" Ichigo said, "the fuck do you call this then? Hibernation?"

Grimmjow dripped with sarcasm, "Oh baby, I love it when you're violent in the morning. It turns me on."

"Oh yeah?" Ichigo purred, running his hand down Grimmjow's impressive chest, watching Grimmjow's eyes grow dark with lust, "it turns you on, huh?"

"I'm a sado-masochist," Grimmjow said, snaking his tongue out to lick Ichigo teasingly, "Violence is hot as hell to me. Why'd'ya think I wanted to watch kick-boxing with you?"

Ichigo grinned, his fingers traveling lower, "so you could get me monkey-drunk and fuck me."

Grimmjow snorted, looking a bit sheepish, "You read me like a book, berry."

"No," Ichigo teased, squeezing Grimmjow's cock suddenly, "I just know who, or what, does the thinking, Grimmjow."

"You sure you wanna be doing that?" Grimmjow said huskily, rolling over on top of the berry, "I don't care if the whole band's right outside that open door, I'll fuck you through the mattress, Ichi."

Oh shit, how had that dirty talk turned him on? Ichigo wanted to moan and laugh at the same time. It was funny how they could tease each other and then become so heatedly serious, "Baka, get the fuck off me, man. There's no way in hell you'd-"

Ichigo's statement was cut off by Grimmjow's aggressive hand on his growing cock, making Ichigo shutter into the touch.

"I wouldn't, huh?" Grimmjow said, licking along Ichigo's jaw line and nipping gently at his earlobe, "let's test that theory."

"Can you test it later? We're gonna be late."

Both Grimmjow and Ichigo's heads whipped around to stare into the eyes of a very sober Stark who was leaning in the doorway.

"How long you been standing there?" Grimmjow asked, not the least bit embarrassed as he sighed and rolled off of Ichigo.

"Since your naughty talk," Stark said, not able to help a grin, "you're so charming, Grimmjow."

"Fuck you," Grimmjow spat back, crawling out of bed in his white boxers and pulling on his jeans. Ichigo did the same, keeping his eyes averted from Stark the entire time, feeling beyond embarrassed that his fucking idol had just caught him doing something so outrageous.

"I don't play on that side of the fence," Stark said, waving his arm dramatically as he left the doorway, "And I'd appreciate it if you took those activities to your own beds, hn? Well, I guess I'll just have the maid change the sheets today."

"We – we didn't do anything!" Ichigo protested, not knowing why he was trying to defend himself. It was just. So. Damned. Awkward.

Grimmjow laughed, and Ichigo could hear Stark chuckle as well from the other room, with Nnoitora asking what the hell was so funny.

"He's just teasing you, Ichi," Grimmjow said, pulling on his shirt, "your face turns red as a tomato: he's taking advantage of your cuteness."

"Shut up, I'm not cute," Ichigo whined, buttoning his own shirt.

Grimmjow kissed him on the forehead, snickering, "And that's exactly why you're cute."

**XXX**

When Ichigo left the bedroom, he hadn't exactly planned on facing Hitsugaya. To be perfectly honest, he hadn't even remembered until just now seeing him in the living room part of the suite that he had been involved in the night's festivities. It startled him at first, but then he remembered, and he wasn't happy to see an extremely ashamed-looking Hitsugaya gathering his things and ripping his hand away from a murmuring Ulquiorra.

"Just – I gotta go," Hitsugaya said, turning and walking to the door. He left quietly, but it was still awkward as Ichigo, Stark, and Nnoitora had all been witnesses to his departure. Ichigo looked from the closed door to Ulquiorra's slightly crestfallen face. His mouth reacted before his brain had completely formed the words.

"Fuck, I knew this would happen," Ichigo accused, running out the door after his friend before anybody else could say anything.

He turned the corner on the floor towards the elevators, catching the elevator before it closed completely. Hitsugaya stood in the corner, his head pressed against the side, and Ichigo instantly realized he was crying.

"I'm gonna fuckin' castrate him," Ichigo said, going to his friend and hugging him from behind, "Oh shit, Tosh, I don't know what to say."

Toshiro sniffled and shuddered, turning around to face Ichigo, his eyes downcast as he wiped at them, "Don't, just, don't. It's not your fault: I was a complete idiot last night. What the hell was I thinking?"

"You got drunk, no harm in that, man," Ichigo soothed, rubbing his shoulders, "Ulquiorra's an ass. I should'a warned you, he's such a player, I didn't even know he was into guys…"

"Ulquiorra's not the problem," Hitsugaya said, a little anger in his voice as he had completely gotten himself under control, "It's me, Ichi. This was my one chance to meet him, and I fucking blew it. I turned into one of those wasted teenage groupies."

"Not true," Ichigo said as the doors to the elevator opened on the ground floor and he put an arm around Toshiro, "You're not a teenager anymore, old man."

It worked: Toshiro smiled, even if it was just for a second, "Fuck you, I'm only 22."

"You're right, you're not old," Ichigo said, nodding as they walked along, "you're ancient."

And the dam had broken. Toshiro, despite being nearly a foot shorter than Ichigo, dropkicked him and wrestled him to the ground, putting him in a headlock as Ichigo laughed hysterically. The few people in the lobby were staring wide-eyed at the display in such a fancy place, but the two couldn't really give a fuck as they battled it out. Hitsugaya was laughing by this point as well, but that didn't mean Ichigo was going to lose to the fight. Hitsugaya was an experienced fighter from years on the streets, so he had some impressive moves but in the end, Ichigo's black belt prestige had the smaller young man all but begging for mercy.

"So this was the emergency?"

Ichigo released Toshiro to stare up at his other very close friend, "What's up, Byakuya? Long time no see."

"I called him to pick me up," Toshiro said, his face going slightly pink, "Since, ya know, I don't have my car…"

Ichigo and Hitsugaya both got off of the ground and slapped hands with Byakuya, Ichigo going in for his usual side hug with his big brother figure when he saw Grimmjow and Ulquiorra step out of the elevator, Grimmjow's blue eyes instantly locking on the display of affection.

Ichigo saw his eyes narrow for just a second before he strolled over, Ulquiorra beside him whose eyes were glued to Toshiro.

"And this must be Grimmjow Jeaggerjaques," Byakuya said, extending his hand for a shake, "Heard a lot about you from Ichigo. Honored to meet you."

Ichigo rolled his eyes: Byakuya was so formal sometimes it was almost creepy. It wasn't like Grimmjow was meeting his dad or something, "Yeah, Grimm, this is my long-time friend, Byakuya Kuchiki. He's lead bassist for Soul Society."

Grimmjow accepted the handshake, although his stance was foreboding, "Nice to meet you."

"And Ulquiorra Schif…Jesus, what's the point? Everybody knows who you guys are," Ichigo said, sending a scathing look at Ulquiorra, "although not everybody knows what a greedy little bastard you are."

Ulquiorra sighed, "Twice in one day."

"What?"

"Nothing," Ulquiorra shook his head slightly before looking at Toshiro again, "Can we talk privately for a moment?"

Toshiro had his arms crossed over his chest and he looked away, unable to meet Ulquiorra's stare, "I need to go. I've got plans."

"Toshiro," Ulquiorra said, his voice even and calm, "Running will solve nothing."

Byakuya looked questioningly at Ichigo, and Ichigo just glared, letting the tall, dark-haired rocker know that Hitsugaya needed to get out of there, "Let's go, Tosh."

Byakuya turned and Hitsugaya followed but not before giving an apologetic look to Ulquiorra, confusing Ichigo. Maybe Ichigo was reading this wrong. Was Ulquiorra actually innocent?

Nah, couldn't be.

"Just stay away from him," Ichigo breathed as soon as Byakuya and Hitsugaya were out of earshot, "He's always admired you, and he gets attached easily. The best thing is for you to leave him the hell alone so he doesn't get hurt."

Ichigo felt himself shiver at Ulquiorra's ice-cold stare, the green boring into him like laser beams, "You are not his keeper. When he is ready to face me, he will."

Ichigo didn't know what to say to that, and Ulquiorra was done, leaving behind a wake of resentment. Grimmjow looked at Ichigo, his hands in his pockets, "Friend, huh? Are all your friends that grabby?"

"I hugged him, ass hole," Ichigo said, immediately defensive. Fuck, he was so on edge, "Jesus, we've been together five minutes and you're already playing jealous."

Ichigo was surprised to see how quickly Grimmjow's face darkened, "It's not playing. I don't like anybody touching what's mine. I don't care even if it's a chick, I don't like it."

Ichigo was immediately angry, his redheaded temper kicking into high gear at Grimmjow's statement, "what's YOURS? Are you fucking serious? I'm not an object, baka, and I sure as hell am NOT your fucking property."

"I didn't mean it like that," Grimmjow retaliated, his voice raising an octave, "Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Because you make an ass out of yourself in front of my friend who I've known for years. It's not okay for me to hug one of my best friends but it's okay for YOURS to fuck around with my best friend? What'd you do about that situation, Grimm? Nothing. I'm not going to let my friends get hurt because of you, or any of the Espada."

"Fuck Hitsugaya," Grimmjow seethed, Ichigo reading his body language instinctually and preparing for a physical fight, "he's not my priority, YOU are."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh, "Right, ME. You've known me five fucking days, Grimmjow, and already you think you own me. I might be in your fucking band and I might fucking like you, but that doesn't mean you can act like this."

Now they were both worked up, and the lobby of the Aporro Granz was not exactly the most discreet location for such an event. Grimmjow saw a teenage girl, perhaps a guest at the hotel, click pictures with her camera phone feverishly from a few feet away. Aizen would be furious if those pictures circulated, especially when the rumors started up again. Grimmjow wasn't ashamed of his sexuality by any means, but Aizen went to great lengths to make sure Grimmjow was never seen with women or men to keep the public guessing. A mind game, of sorts.

And he really didn't want to have a screaming match with his brand-new boyfriend right now, "We've got practice. We gotta go. Do you wanna ride?"

Ichigo shook his head from side to side, "I'll take the subway. I need some space."

Grimmjow watched, frustrated as Ichigo walked away from him out of the fancy front doors, cursing himself for getting all worked up. Shit, they had been a couple for less than twelve hours and already it was on ice.

"Fuck," Grimmjow breathed, turning around to head to the parking garage. In his experience, nothing made you feel better quite like driving past the legal speed limit.

**Oh no! Trouble in paradise!** **:O**

**And no, Szayel does not own the hotel, but I thought his last name sounded like a hotel, so I used it. Ba-ha.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! You get fresh-baked angst cookies if you do :D**


	10. Showdown Stalemate

**Hello again. Guess what? I have a plot now.**

**Also, I apologize for screwing up which eye is Nnoitora's eye patch in one of the earlier chapters. It's the left.**

**I think this is a long ass chapter. Enjoy.**

Chapter 10: Stare Down Stalemate

Nnoitora pulled out another cigarette, pissed that he was down to his last two. Damn, he'd have to pick up some more later, after the Queen Bitch was done whining about the fucking practice session. Nnoitora swore to all the powers that be that if Halibel didn't shut the fuck up soon, he was going to shove his drumsticks so far up her tight ass her tonsils would get splinters.

It was almost ten at night, and the band had barely stopped for more than twenty minutes since their allotted time at three. Szayel wasn't even running the booth anymore. He had left hours ago, claiming he needed his beauty rest. Fuckin' fruitcake.

But Nnoitora didn't really mind: as long as he got to play, he didn't care about how long. He imagined he could go days, but right now, he wasn't feeling the atmosphere. There was something fuckin' goin' on around here, and he didn't like being out of the loop. He knew the berry bitch was frustrated about something, taking his anger out on his Zanpakuto. Even though Halibel and Stark had been encouraging him about trying different songs, he wasn't into it, not like he had been yesterday.

His voice wasn't bad, but there just wasn't that fire that Nnoitora had seen yesterday. No matter how badass he pretended to be, Nnoitora still recognized talent in others, even if he wanted to always surpass others' talents. It was just in his nature.

But with the berry pissed, Nnoitora had noticed Grimmjow was over the edge too. He wasn't talking, which was fucked up: Nnoitora had never known Grimmjow to be quiet; it was like fuckin' staring at a blue-haired, aggressive Ulquiorra.

And speaking of the fucking emo, Nnoitora thought Ulquiorra was being colder than usual too. What the HELL had happened since the club? Although Stark hadn't changed. Then again, Stark never changed. He was the most fuckin' predictable person on the planet.

So…did this have something to do with that little white-haired cream puff that Ulquiorra had dragged back to the hotel with them? Nnoitora continued to ponder the mystery of the drama as he finally smoked the cigarette down to the filter, flinging it over the edge of the balcony. Halibel had said a twenty minute break, but damn it if he listened to the bitch. She always got her way: she was like a fuckin' mom, and Nnoitora hadn't had a mom in…how many years now? Five?

It was his number, of course, wasn't it? The number he had tattooed on the side of his neck (he had wanted to get it tattooed on his tongue, but that hadn't exactly worked out. Besides, he liked his tongue ring just as much). But thinking about something that happened five years ago made him itch the patch that rested over his left eye, as if the old scar tissue remembered.

Shit, he didn't WANT to remember. The past was dead and buried, along with his mother.

Why the HELL was he getting all sappy? He pulled out his final cigarette, mumbling to himself about "pussy feelings" when he heard the sliding doors open.

"Can I bum one?" Grimmjow asked, making his way over to the railing, his cerulean eyes tired.

"Fuck, it's my last one," Nnoitora whined, debating, "besides, ya quit, didn'cha?"

Grimmjow shrugged, leaning on the railing to stare out at the bright lights of the city night, "Been tryin'."

"Then I'm willin' ta share," Nnoitora said, grinning as he lit it and took a drag before passing it to Grimmjow, "So, ya gonna let me in on the fuckin' issues goin' on around here, or ya gonna wait for me ta go psycho and kill somebody?"

Grimmjow exhaled a stream of smoke through his nostrils, contemplating, "I'm strangely comfortable with the second option."

"Come on…" Nnoitora grumbled, snatching the cigarette back, "Ya know ya wanna tell me. Anybody can feel that fuckin' atmosphere. Cut the tension with a fuckin' butter knife."

"And you were always the dense one," Grimmjow mused.

"Fuck you," Nnoitora replied, blowing smoke in Grimmjow's face (which wasn't hard, considering Nnoitora had a few inches on the blue-haired punk) "I've known ya long enough to know when somethin's fuckin' botherin'ya, and ya know what? I really don't give a fuck, but I don't want 'cher little pussy-ass attitude ruining my music mood, got it?"

"So, you really DO care," Grimmjow said, smirking, "didn't know ya had a soft spot in ya, Cinco."

"Shut it," Nnoitora grinned menacingly at the old gang nickname, "the past is past, ain't it, Sexta?"

Grimmjow grinned, his eyes a bit savage, "You ever miss the old days?"

"Fuck, we ain't THAT old," Nnoitora said, finally handing the cigarette back to Grimmjow, "we're only 21. Those 'old days' were only a few years ago."

"Feels like a century ago," Grimmjow mused, the cigarette perched in the corner of his mouth, "and you didn't answer my question."

Nnoitora unconsciously ran his hand over his left arm, which was covered in gang-related tattoos of vicious skulls and Spanish phrases, "We were kings. Of course I fuckin' miss it."

Grimmjow quietly puffed away at the cigarette before answering him, "So who the fuck are we now, Nnoi?"

Nnoitora's shit-eating grin took over his face, "We're still kings, ain't we? Joining that gang, becoming a Hollow: that was to fuckin' survive to see the next day. Then we got strong enough to make it on our own, make our own path as Espada. Wasn't that what we were always plannin' to do from day one?"

Grimmjow remembered as if it were yesterday. They had been so young and stupid back then. Violent vigilantes, exactly what the street gang known as The Hollows had wanted. Grimmjow could still remember when Nnoitora and him had gotten their asses kicked for the first time in their lives; they had never thrown a fight, ever, until that night of initiation. Then they had had to prove their loyalty through other inappropriate and illegal ways, but it had been worth it: a place in a gang was a place of security, especially in the districts they had both been cursed to grow up in. Grimmjow and Nnoitora had rolled together since they were ten years old, had joined The Hollows at thirteen and hadn't managed to get out of the life until almost five years later. Needless to say, the gang had been pissed. You didn't leave The Hollows: The Hollows left you. The Hollows had been brothers, family: all of them had watched each other's backs like blood relatives; stronger somehow. In a sense, Grimmjow still missed that reliability and loyalty, but the life had kept gnawing away at him until he had been desperate to get out. And music had helped him do that. And Nnoitora, always the free-wandering spirit, hadn't had a problem saying goodbye to the people they had spent five years of their lives with.

Then it had been a matter of surviving the un-initiation. Being beaten into a pulp the first time hadn't been fun, and certainly leaving the gang had been much worse. But, eventually, both had crawled away alive, so they could be thankful for that. Both bore the scars from the iron prods The Hollow members had used on the tattoos on the backs of their necks, the ones that had been their tag and marker. Grimmjow had never felt such pain in his life, although Nnoitora had, considering he had lost his eye the same year due to another incident that would never be forgotten.

Grimmjow was just thankful he hadn't gotten the fucking gang tattoos on his arms or his chest for the world to see. As for Nnoitora, he had been a little more aggressive and proud about his status, so he had gotten nearly an entire sleeve done. Grimmjow had only the scarred-over tag on the back of his neck and the relatively-large number 6 on his back, a tattoo that had been a spur-of-the-moment decision while drunk with his gang family. It was appropriate: he had always had a fondness for the number six, had been the sixth strongest fighter, and had grown a reputation and the nickname of Sexta.

Nnoitora, of course, had been ranked fifth, but Grimmjow wondered if they got into a fight right now if he could take him. Of course Nnoitora had height, but Grimmjow had build…

"What the fuck you thinkin' 'bout?" Nnoitora interrupted, snatching the cigarette back before it was useless.

"Thinkin' 'bout if you still got the moves to beat me in a fight."

"Che," Nnoitora stomped on the now-useless cigarette, smashing it under on of his large black boots, "Anytime, Sexta. I'll wipe the fuckin' floor with your useless ass."

Grimmjow laughed and laughed hard: damn, he hadn't laughed all day. It felt good to release some tension. The nicotine from the cigarette was starting to calm him down as well, and he knew Nnoitora wouldn't really fight him unless they were playing around. They had always had each other's backs, and now that they weren't in a gang wasn't going to change anything.

So Grimmjow decided to open his fat mouth, "I'm with Ichigo."

"No SHIT, Sherlock," Nnoitora hissed, smacking Grimmjow on the forehead, "all of fuckin' Japan should know that by now."

"We got in a fight, I guess," Grimmjow said, ignoring Nnoitora's physical attack, "Schiff's involved 'cuz of that white-haired baby, so that's what's up. That's all you're missing."

Nnoitora couldn't help but cackle: shit, he should have fuckin' been a detective, "Figured that much out. So why don't'cha go kiss and make up?"

"I wanna give him some space. He's fuckin' pissed."

"Pissed is good," Nnoitora said, sidling over to the sliding doors, "angry sex is the fuckin' best. No, I take that back: makeup sex is the fuckin' best. Either way, you win."

Grimmjow grinned viciously, not able to help his oldest friend's crude take on his emotional issues, "you're a fuckin' whore."

"Better a fuckin' one than an ugly one," Nnoitora shot back, bending over so he could fit under the smaller door frame, "Come on, Hal's probably havin' a heart attack by now."

Grimmjow shook his head, clearing it as best he could before following Nnoitora back to the studio room.

**XXX**

"I think that's enough for one night," Stark said, hiding a yawn, "If we're going to practice tomorrow, we have got to get some rest."

"Fine," Halibel said, seeming pleased that they had gotten nearly 9 hours of practice in, "let's meet up here tomorrow at two to go over the line-up for Zaraki's."

Everybody mumbled consent before switching amps off and clattering around to get their things. All the lights and switches were eventually turned off before everybody took separate ways down the hallways, splitting to get to their modes of transportation. Ichigo had asked Stark for a ride home, which he didn't feel the least bit guilty about, even if he did feel Grimmjow's eyes boring into his back the entire time.

He had mumbled goodnight to everybody, but he still hadn't said more than a handful of words to Grimmjow.

It wasn't that long later when Stark had dropped Ichigo off at his apartment and he was lying in his futon, too tired to shower or change. Shit, today had been intense. He had never minded practices, but this was grueling. Then again, they only had two more days until Zaraki's, and Ichigo was nervous enough.

He rolled over, rummaging for his vibrating phone, annoyed at the caller i.d.

"What now?" he said, not bothering to sound nice.

"Hey," Rukia said, her voice flighty. Maybe she was nervous. That was good.

"What do you want?" he asked again, getting extremely agitated. Enough shit had gone down today without adding his cheating ex-girlfriend.

"Have you talked to Renji?"

"I'm hanging up."

"Don't!" Rukia cried, sighing, "Look, I was a bitch. I can understand that you're pissed and angry, but you and Renji have been friends for FOREVER. He's really depressed, even Byakuya is worried…"

"And that's my problem how?" At this point, Ichigo didn't care how he sounded. He just wanted to sleep, "Look, I AM pissed about what happened, but if Renji needs you to pull a sob story for him so that I'll feel bad and go running back to him, he needs to get his fucking head examined."

"Can you just TALK to him?"

"What is there to talk about?" Ichigo seethed, slamming his head into the mattress, "You guys make no fuckin' sense. Why don't YOU be his new best friend? Maybe he'll fuck your next boyfriend and you'll know how I feel."

"That's not fair," Rukia murmured, and for a second Ichigo actually did feel bad.

But only for a second, "Life's a bitch, Rukia. But, you can tell him something for me."

"What is that?"

"That I've been invited into a new band," Ichigo replied, not ready to give away full details yet. He hadn't even told Byakuya and Tosh yet: they had been told a little white lie that Ichigo had met Grimmjow randomly in the street and had struck up a friendship. Far fetched, but neither had questioned it, "if Renji's really ready to make amends, tell him to find a fucking way to get into Zaraki's Monday night."

"Zaraki's?" Rukia sounded incredulous, "How'd you…! That's incredible, Ichi."

Ichigo cringed: he didn't like her calling him by his nickname. It rubbed him the wrong way now, "As far as I'm concerned, you can go with him."

"I don't get it. Why?"

Ichigo sighed, "Isn't that what dates usually consist of? Don't tell me you're not going out with him now after all of this."

"I'm not," Rukia defended, sounding extremely pissed, "we slept together months ago, Ichigo. We tried to explain that to you. We were drunk, that was it. End of story. We don't want to date. Not ever."

"Touching, really," Ichigo said, taking a look at his glowing alarm clock, "but I'm fuckin' exhausted, and I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"You're never going to grow up," Rukia countered.

"And you're never going to stop being a cheating whore that has a few drinks and spreads her legs for the first Neanderthal to wander her way," Ichigo said, unable to help his biting reprieve, "goodnight, princess. Sleep tight."

He hung up, not interested in whatever Rukia had been about to call him. All he knew was that it had been something nasty.

But he didn't care. He was over all this bullshit. And what exactly was he thinking? Telling Rukia something like that? Why the hell did he want Renji to show up at the premiere?

Oh, that's right: to rub it in his fucking face.

But something in the pit of Ichigo's stomach told him that wouldn't make him feel the least bit better. In fact, Ichigo was sure it would only make things worse.

Then again, he knew he couldn't move on from this problem with Renji and Rukia until he was accomplishing something, doing something he had promised he would do. If Renji saw that Ichigo was capable of making it on his own…

He didn't need Renji's bullshit, or Grimmjow's jealousy, or Ulquiorra's stubbornness.

Right now, all he needed was sleep.

**XXX**

Sunday flew by, and the practice had been another long one, but no one had the energy to complain. Halibel and Grimmjow had done most of the deciding for the song line-up, Stark and Ulquiorra in their own little worlds as Ichigo struggled not to strangle someone.

Damn, he WANTED to talk to Grimmjow, but a part of him was just too damn stubborn.

It was Grimm's fault, why wasn't he trying to fix it? Those deep galaxy blue eyes looked his way every once in a while, but Ichigo could never keep the stare. When Ichigo caught himself staring at Grimmjow, he would immediately look away.

What the FUCK was going on? Why did he even CARE about a stupid little misunderstanding or jealousy? If he was honest with himself, Ichigo had to admit it felt kind of good to know Grimmjow was that loyal.

But Ichigo's stubbornness was on par with a mule, and he didn't know how to fix it.

Halibel had actually been in a relatively good mood, telling Ichigo that he was doing really well considering the time constraints. Everybody was glad to head out around seven, leaving the rest of the evening for Ichigo to go back to his apartment and busy his hands.

Ichigo was generally a neat person, but his apartment had become a bit rough over the past few weeks. Sometimes he got into funks of laziness and didn't want to clean, but right now, he needed to keep himself busy. It was lame, he'd admit it, but there was something calming and therapeutic about cleaning and organizing his apartment, almost as if he could organize the thoughts in his mind.

After scrubbing the bathroom until it sparkled, mopping the floors and dusting every available surface, he crashed on the couch, contemplating ordering pizza. His stomach was starting to grumble, but he didn't want to spring the cash.

Which had become a bit of a problem lately. The apartment was actually extremely cheap, as the complex was owned by an old colleague of his dad's and had managed to get it for a steal by association. It didn't hurt to have friends in high places, but between school and band time, Ichigo didn't work more than fifteen hours a week at his part time job. Urahara understood though, and tended to be flexible for Ichigo's constantly changing schedule.

He gave Urahara a call then to make sure he wasn't scheduled to work after school the next day as Halibel had stressed how important it was that they be at Zaraki's no later than six p.m.

"Helloooo~, Urahara Shoten Sugar Shop, how can I help you?" Kisuke Urahara sing-songed, making Ichigo snort.

"Heyya, boss. Just checkin' on my schedule."

"Well well, let me see…" Ichigo heard him shuffle around on the other side of the line, moving a few papers around. Ichigo rolled his eyes: he genuinely loved the guy, but he was so messy Ichigo didn't know how he functioned. He had heard that true geniuses tended to be messy: if that was true, then Urahara was the most brilliant person in Japan.

"I have you on for Wednesday and Thursday after school," Urahara announced, his voice becoming serious, "So why the quick cancellation for tomorrow, hmmmm?"

Ichigo had never lied to his boss, so he didn't see a reason to start now, "I'm, um, actually performing at Zaraki's."

There was dead silence for several seconds, then an explosion of "Congratulations!"

"Yeah, I guess."

"You GUESS? Ichigo, that's incredible. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks," Ichigo's face was heated: he was always embarrassed when he received praise.

"Soul Society is doing really well then, huh?"

Ichigo felt a lump grow in his throat, "Actually, Urahara, I…quit…Soul Society."

"I don't understand," Urahara said, his voice incredibly serious.

"It's complicated," Ichigo said, his eyes now closed as he concentrated, "but I'm with a new band now, and I'd appreciate it if you kept the information to yourself. I'm not ready for people to know about my decisions just yet."

"Of course, Ichigo," Urahara said matter-of-factly, "Anything for my favorite employee."

Ichigo snorted, "Sure sure. Tell Ururu and Jinta hi for me."

"Will do. 'Night, Ichi," Urahara said, his voice gentle before hanging up.

Ichigo, his apartment now clean and his responsibilities cleared, declared himself worthy of friend time. He texted Tosh about meeting up for dinner, which had always been code for "help I'm hungry and you're an amazing cook." Tosh immediately texted back, telling Ichigo he'd be over in an hour to make hot pot.

Ichigo laid back, sighing, content that his buddy was on his way to rescue Ichigo from instant ramen (again). He flipped idly through the channels, his eyes never really focusing on what was playing. He passed the Hogyoku Channel, his face burning at the memory of the match and Grimmjow's challenge.

Which only made Ichigo think about their first kiss, which led to Ichigo's first experience with a boy, which had led to Ichigo opening his eyes to the possibility of being gay. Which, for some reason, wasn't so hard to accept now. It made him not feel too upset about Rukia, especially since she had hurt him so bad he didn't know how he would react if he had actually craved her physically and emotionally. The more Ichigo thought about it, the more he realized he had treated her more like a friend with benefits than a girlfriend. Ichigo had only had two relationships prior to Rukia, and neither had lasted more than a month. Ichigo didn't particularly have an attraction to women's breasts, hips, or butts: yeah, they were there and he didn't have a problem staring at them, but did he feel a jolt of lust whenever he saw a smokin' hot girl? Nah, not really. And how many times had he actually pulled out of Rukia and had to finish himself off because he couldn't cum inside her?

Shit, the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to click together.

Soon there was a knock on the door and Ichigo rushed over, his mouth salivating at the thought of Tosh's food. Tosh was four years older, thus in Ichigo's mind, a much more experienced cook. Although Tosh lived in the dorms for Karakura's only college, he still managed to cook and survive in his small dwelling place as good as anybody in an apartment or house. He had a plastic bag in one hand, full of ingredients.

"What's up?" Ichigo asked.

Tosh shrugged, immediately starting to chop up vegetables as soon as he was in the kitchen, "Soul Society met up yesterday for practice and to, you know, talk about…replacing you."

"Oh," Ichigo said, scratching the back of his head, "How'd that go?"

"Byakuya wants to start auditions as soon as possible; we've already committed and paid the entrance fee for the festival. We want to be there," Tosh said, the knife flying over a carrot, "and we want to win."

Ichigo nodded, "You guys will. I know it."

"Ha," Tosh snickered, "Yeah, well, won't really matter when your best friend is the opening act."

Ichigo's jaw dropped, "H-how did you know?"

"Oh please, you really think Byakuya and I are that dense? You just happened to run into one of Japan's hottest musicians and conveniently get invited to a night partying?" Tosh smiled devilishly at Ichigo, turning away from the cutting board a moment, "And the way you were looking at Grimmjow, I thought you might drown in your own drool."

Ichigo's face instantly flamed, "It's only been a few days. I mean, nothing's final. I mean…shit…how did you know I was…?"

"I'm not mad, Ichigo. Actually, I'm the exact opposite. I'm stoked for you," Hitsugaya's face held a smirk, "and as for you being gay, your closet has always been cracked open."

"Really?"

"Really," Hitsugaya shook his head reassuringly, "besides, you seem really happy when you're with them. You deserve to be happy."

Ichigo had thought coming out to his friends would have been more dramatic, but then again, this was Toshiro: he was hard to get worked up about anything, "And what about you? Are you happy?"

Hitsugaya was rummaging in Ichigo's refrigerator, "Tell me you have butter, Ichi. I didn't bring any."

"Uh-uh, you're not avoiding this one," Ichigo said, his arms folded over his chest, "What about Ulquiorra? Did he make you unhappy?"

"No, he didn't," Tosh said, closing the door to the fridge and leaning against the counter, "he's actually…really sweet."

Sweet? Was Ichigo hearing correctly? The stone cold vampire lord of Espada was SWEET? "Really."

Toshiro's face was bright red, "I – I'm the one who made a fool of themselves. He didn't do anything. In fact, he made me feel so…comfortable. Even though I had been a complete idiot, he said…he had said he wanted more time with me."

Ichigo was dumbfounded: so the green-eyed albino hadn't been a jackass.

…Which meant Ichigo had been the jackass, "Oh."

Hitsugaya looked at him, his ice blue eyes piercing, "I like him, I like him a lot, a lot more than I've ever liked anybody, and I'm scared. I was a complete idiot getting drunk like that, and then, and then waking up next to him, I just panicked. I…I'm such an IDIOT, I should have said something, I was just so…God, Ichi, I'm so embarrassed."

"I'll talk to him," Ichigo said, mentally slapping himself for being an overbearing jerk, "He does seem…pretty serious, Tosh."

"Really? He talks about me?" Tosh asked, his face suddenly full of hope.

"Uh, actually, I threatened him," Ichigo said, looking sheepish, "I told him to leave you alone and if you got hurt…I didn't specify the form of death, but I'm sure he has a vivid imagination."

"Yeah, he does…" Tosh said, his face even more inflamed.

Ichigo cleared his throat, fighting images of his white-haired friend panting and moaning as a silent Ulquiorra rhythmically moved against him…

Jesus, where had THAT come from?

"Uh, I'll fix it," Ichigo said, trying to clear his mental porn show, "You know what, come to Zaraki's tomorrow."

"Zaraki's?" Hitsugaya's eyes widened, "Renji texted me earlier today about that, asking me to go with him. He wants the whole band to go, to check it out. Why would you do that, Ichi?"

"I wasn't thinking," Ichigo said, slapping his forehead, "Shit, I was on the phone with Rukia and things got heated and…it just slipped out of my mouth. I wanted to see his face when he saw me on stage, make him suffer a little…"

"You're fucking evil," Hitsugaya said, pulling out pots and pans and clanking them on the counter, "but I like your twisted little mind. You think we'll be able to get tickets?"

Ichigo grinned and disappeared into his room, returning with four glossy cards, "Courtesy of Yoruichi Entertainment."

"No shit!" Tosh said, grabbing them out of Ichigo's outstretched hand.

Ichigo shrugged, "Aizen gave them to us this morning." Ichigo didn't mention that his (hopefully) new boss had also been extremely agitated at the boys for going out and partying Friday night, "doing god knows what" as he had said. He had been extremely pissed, although he had never yelled. It was the tone of his voice that got Ichigo on edge: the man had power, incredible power, and he could be fierce when he was angered. Ichigo didn't think he had started off this new relationship very well. But Aizen wasn't completely unforgiving, and Yoruichi Entertainment sponsored Zaraki's and had given him extra passes for private friends.

"This is perfect," Tosh said, sliding them into his back jeans pocket, "although, how am I going to explain having four VIP passes to one of the hottest music houses in the city?"

"I don't know: raffle? Radio? Ebay? Whatever, Renji's a dumbass: he won't question it," Ichigo said, popping a piece of raw carrot in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully, "now that the revenge is within reach, it feels kinda immature."

Toshiro smiled, punching Ichigo playfully on the shoulder, "You're in high school: maturity doesn't exist. Now come on, if you want to eat before midnight, you'd better start chopping."

Ichigo grinned and complied, chopping away as Toshiro chattered away about what he would say when he saw Ulquiorra again.

**XXX**

Ichigo had barely lifted a pencil at school the next morning and was so nervous about the impending performance that several of his friends had commented about his "skittishness." Shit, he really WAS afraid.

As soon as he got home he threw his backpack on the floor of his bedroom and plopped down on the bed, annoyed with himself. It wasn't like this was his first performance, but it was a performance that would decide if he had a future with Espada.

And did he have a future? Even if he stayed with Espada, what about Grimmjow?

"Dammit," Ichigo huffed, pulling out his cell phone and staring at it as if he were studying a specimen in a laboratory. He scrolled through the numbers, pausing on Grimmjow.

"Fuck it," Ichigo decided, clicking it and holding it up to his ear.

It rang several times, Ichigo fighting the lump in his throat when the line finally cleared.

"Yo, it's me. Leave a message if it's important. If it's not, then fuck off," came Grimmjow's crude messaging system.

Ichigo couldn't help but smirk, but the smirk disappeared when the line beeped, a sign that Ichigo could begin recording.

"Um," Ichigo began, mentally slapping himself, "Hey, uh, it's me. Just, um…wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. Anyways, I'll see you in a few hours, so…see ya."

Ichigo hung up, cussing up a storm. He was so STUPID. That was the most pussy, ridiculous message he had ever left anybody.

Gah, he was annoyed. Ichigo picked up his acoustic and began strumming, trying to release some of his tension. He couldn't go perform tonight feeling this much anxiety. He couldn't screw tonight up no matter what.

**XXX**

Grimmjow snarled, flinging his cell across the suite room. Fuck! He had missed Ichigo's call! He had just finished taking a shower and was toweling off when he had noticed his phone's backlight, the light that only turned on when he had a text or message waiting for him. He sighed, taking a deep breath before walking over and retrieving the poor abused communicator and pressing the button, holding it up to his ear.

Shit, how could Ichigo be so fucking CUTE even over the fucking phone? It wasn't fair. It was just plain DIRTY.

But then again, wasn't Grimmjow the one who had felt like an ass for getting the berry angry? And the berry was calling HIM back to apologize? Shit, why hadn't he just done that in the first place?

Oh yeah, pride.

But damn pride if it hurt Ichigo. Grimmjow groaned, running his hands through his thick blue hair, completely annoyed he had missed the call. Grimmjow had already forgiven him, but Grimmjow was terrible with words. He didn't have a filtering system like most people; it's what had gotten him in trouble in the first place.

Maybe there was another way to tell the berry…

Grimmjow dialed Halibel, his voice hurried, "I want to add something to the list."

"NOW?" Halibel said, sounding surprised, "We have to be there in an hour, Grimm."

"Then consider it an encore performance," Grimmjow kept his voice from begging. Barely, "Listen, I know you don't give two fucks about me and Ichigo, but I gotta do this. I think it'll make things better."

Halibel chuckled, "You're going to serenade him on stage? Oh Grimm, that's just too romantic."

"Go to hell," Grimmjow growled, pulling papers out of one of his various notebooks he carried with him constantly, "I wanted to tell you so you'd have some kind of head's up. It's a surprise for Ichi."

"What song?" Halibel asked, sounding genuinely intrigued.

"Something I've been working on," Grimmjow found the pages, smiling to himself, "since I've met him."

"Aw, shit," Halibel sighed dreamily before continuing, "you know I can't stand it when you're fucking cute like that. Alright, Grimm, but you had better promise me that this tension bullshit during practice disappears."

"Swear on my heart and hope to die," Grimmjow quoted, grinning, "now I gotta go. I'm not done with it yet."

"You must be confident this will work if you're not even finished. This will be interesting."

"Yah, guess so. See ya," Grimmjow said before unceremoniously cutting off the connection. After all, he only had an hour to finish this. He grabbed a pen and set to work.

**Author's Note:**

**Haha, I should have called this chapter Telephone. xD**

**I don't know why phone conversations are fun to write**, **but they are** **xD**

**And okay, yes, it is extremely far-fetched that Ichigo and Grimmjow are that into each other after only a couple of days, but I couldn't wait any longer to use the song I want to use and I thought it was PERFECT for GrimmIchi :D**

**So I had to speed up the forgiveness process, but don't worry, I have more drama planned! And what will happen at Zaraki's? Renji and Ichigo facedown! And will Grimm's performance be a hit? Will Ichigo pass the test to become a member of Espada? Tune in next time! xD (I've always wanted to say that). **

Anyways kiddies, please **REVIEW** because you love me and want me to be happy ;P


	11. Smother Me

Chapter 11:

Ichigo paced the small space. Well, it wasn't really small, but in his head it seemed small. Was he becoming claustrophobic? No, no it couldn't be that. He just needed an excuse not to blame his nerves.

He had arrived twenty minutes early to Zaraki's anyway for posterity's sake, and he had waited until, of course, Halibel had been the first to show up with Ulquiorra and Stark in tow. Aizen would have been there too, but he had some "very important business meetings that have priority over the show." Fucking bastard.

"Punctual," Halibel had commented, hugging Ichigo's side, "You're going to do great. Don't stress."

Ichigo had only nodded, anxious. Stark chattered away with him as they entered the exclusive music club, passing over the threshold into the realm of Zaraki's. Ichigo gawked at the entryway, impressed with its architecture and stone. The entryway led into a large gallery-like room with a very large stage. The room could easily fit five to six hundred people standing up, as it was a music scene not meant for seating. There were booths and high top tables at the incredibly huge bar off on the side, but it was too early for there to be any clients. Zaraki's didn't open until seven, and it would be another hour after that before they were scheduled to play. Even so, they had arrived early to check out the equipment and tune up.

"Hey guys!" came a shrill, childlike voice, "Welcome back!"

"Heyya, Squirt," Stark smiled at the very short and childlike girl that had appeared, dressed in a very fashionable and short black kimono. Ichigo gawked: what was a young girl doing at such an exclusive place? She looked to be about seven years old. Her bubblegum pink hair was cut at chin length in a classic bob, her cheeks naturally rosy, her large eyes innocent and mischevious at the same time.

"Kenny said you were coming tonight! I've been waiting till I could see you guys again," the little girl beamed, giving everybody a hug, stopping at Ichigo and staring up at him, her face cracking into a bright, beautiful smile, "I LOVE your hair! You must be Ichigo, huh? I've heard about you. Are you the singer? You look like a singer. Do you sing good? Whoa, and you have a Zanpakuto? Can you play it? Can I see it?"

"Chill out, kid," came a deep, gravelly voice, "Leave 'em be."

Ichigo couldn't help but gawk at the man that had seemed to appear out of nowhere, tall, built, and menacing. Ichigo immediately recognized him from the guitar magazines he idolized, from the snapshots in gossip columns. Although Kenpachi Zaraki was much more intimidating in person.

His black hair was gelled and styled into extremely long spikes on top of his head, his clothing a black ensemble with a white overcoat: on anybody else it would probably look comical, but Zaraki carried himself in such a way that Ichigo thought it was perfect for his huge frame. Almost like a pimp robe.

A long scar ran down one of his temples past his eye that usually sported an eye patch, stopping near the corner of his mouth. Ichigo had always wondered what was under that eye patch, and he was surprised to see that all the rumors had been wrong. The scar had been from a brutal knife wound from his early days according to one of the interviews, but Zaraki had never shown the eye in public. Ichigo stared at the man's eyes, one a steely grey and the other, the one that was usually covered by the eye patch, was a bright, metallic brown. That was all? It was kind of disappointing to learn that Zaraki had simply been born with two different colored eyes, semi-rare but not unheard of.

But everything about this guy screamed danger and strength. He looked like he was carved from stone, all sharp planes and angles. The grin he offered Ichigo was shark-like as he revealed his teeth, "Glad you guys could perform. Been tryin' to book you for a year."

Stark shook his hand, seeming at ease, "Good to be back, Z. You look like you're doing well; staying in shape I see."

"I'm retired," Zaraki said, his rumbling sigh like thunder, "all I do is watch the kid and work out."

The little girl giggled before hugging one of Zaraki's thick legs, "Kenny's annoyed because mommy's making him go to couple counseling."

"Stop calling me Kenny," Zaraki barked, patting her on the head with a huge hand, "I'm your father, and what did I tell you about talking so much about daddy's business?"

"Sorry," Bubblegum Head pouted, hugging Zaraki more fiercely, "I'm sorry I made you sad, Kenny!"

Zaraki rolled his eyes, grunting another sigh, "I'm too old for this shit. Anyways, Shuhei's backstage now helping set up. Just yell if you need something."

Halibel and Stark nodded, watching Zaraki walk off with his little girl scrambling up his body like a monkey and hanging around his neck like a piggy-back ride as she chattered a mile a minute.

"I didn't know he had a kid," Ichigo offered, still staring at the pink-haired girl before they disappeared through a set of double doors.

"Kids," Stark corrected, smiling, "Shuhei is his eldest son."

Ichigo met Shuhei a few minutes later, not surprised in the least. Yeah, he could see the resemblance. Shuhei's short black hair was spiked in a thousand directions, a few scars ran down his face that Ichigo was curious about. He wore simple black pants and a black wife beater that showed off his toned arms and chest, which sported interlocking tattoos that ranged from kimono-clad geisha girls to nautical stars. He even had a black 69 tattooed on his cheek. His eyes were the steel gray of his father, Zaraki, and Ichigo instantly liked him when he grinned. His face looked honest and strong, "Hey guys."

"What's up, Shuhei?" Stark said, bumping knuckles with the teenager, "all set for tonight?"

"Everything's ready. I'm running sound tonight," Shuhei replied, smacking hands with Ulquiorra and getting a side hug from Halibel, "Where's Grimm and Nnoi?"

"On their way," Halibel offered, falling onto a couch that had been dragged backstage for their sitting pleasure, "Nnoi's riding with him."

"And this is…?" Shuhei said, looking Ichigo up and down and making Ichigo feel extremely selfconscious.

Holy fuck, was Shuhei checking him out? Ichigo stretched out his hand, refusing to believe his thoughts, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Kurosaki," Shuhei accepted the gesture and shook his hand, although it lingered longer than it needed to, "Where have I heard that name before?"

"My dad owns an emergency clinic on Arrancar Avenue," Ichigo shrugged, his hands now in his pockets.

Shuhei snapped his fingers, "That's it, Kurosaki Clinic. My buddy broke his arm skateboarding a few weeks ago and got treated there. Nice to meet you, Ichigo."

"You too," Ichigo said, looking at his shoes as Shuhei's stare hadn't waned. Since when did Ichigo become so shy? So what if Shuhei was checking him out? It wasn't like Ichigo wasn't already involved with somebody else. And even if Shuhei made a move on him, Grimm would be there soon to dispel any daydreams the goth teen might have of obtaining the blushing berry.

They chilled backstage after hooking up and tuning their guitars while Shuhei ran a few more chords. When it hit seven, they all headed backstage to stay away from the incoming fans and to relax pre-show. Halibel was on her phone, texting furiously. Ichigo suspected Grimmjow. It worried him: why weren't Grimmjow and Nnoitora there yet?

Another thirty minutes passed before Ichigo was practically hyperventilating from worry. They only had half an hour to show time and still no word from Grimmjow or Nnoitora.

Stark placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder and he almost shot through the roof, "Chill out, man. They pull stunts like this all the time. They'll be here, trust me."

Ichigo nodded, still freaked out, "How could they cut it so close?"

"Overconfident schmucks," Stark shrugged, "they tend to be the last to show up. Immature little bastards."

Ichigo laughed with him, the anxiety inside himself tightening into a little ball concentrated in his stomach. Jesus, he needed to chill the fuck out before he had a breakdown or something. What if he had a stroke? Or worse, got a kidney stone?

"They're here," Ulquiorra said quietly, his eyes on the text message on his phone, "they're coming through the back."

Made sense. Ichigo imagined the floor was packed right now with anticipating fans, all of them ready and waiting for the members to emerge. To parade two of the members in front of them now could possibly start a trampling that no one would walk away from. Although Shuhei had assured Ichigo of bouncers and security, Ichigo had seen the ferocity of crazed fan girls on t.v. and at concerts he had attended.

They appeared a few moments later, Grimmjow the first to emerge through the back door that led into the alleyway behind Zaraki's. It wasn't exactly stylish, but they had been the ones to show up late. Ichigo's heart thumped as he took in Grimmjow's predatory walk, wearing a simple ensemble that consisted of a pair of ripped jeans and a form-fitting vintage white T. Nnoitora entered behind him, wearing black pants and kick-ass army boots that were laced halfway up his incredibly long legs. He was wearing a really cool white overcoat that had coattails, and the hoodie was pulled over his long hair, his grin splattered across his face. Ichigo couldn't help but think the hoodie peaked in such a way and Nnoitora's thin build made him look like a giant spoon.

"Yo," Nnoitora called, waving a hand in greeting, "Shit your pants worryin' 'bout us yet?"

"Not yet," Halibel said, sighing, "Seriously, guys, grow up."

"I like dramatic entrances," Nnoitora scoffed, plopping down on the couch next to Ichigo, folding one of his long legs over the other knee and laying back.

"We noticed," Stark said, fighting a grin at Nnoitora's flashy ensemble. Everybody had dressed relatively simple in comparison, "So why the hold up?"

"Finished a song," Grimmjow said, his voice low. Ichigo looked at him, meeting those solid, deep cerulean eyes and feeling his heart flip flop again. Damn, it was impossible to look away from his perfection, even when they weren't on the best of terms. But Ichigo was going to change that, talk to him, get this settled. He didn't know how Grimmjow was feeling right now, but he didn't look particularly upset or displeased like the energy he had been giving at the practice sessions. Had he listened to the voicemail?

"Nice," Stark said, laying back and closing his eyes, "Wake me when we're on."

Seriously? Ichigo couldn't imagine trying to catch a catnap right then, especially when it seemed he could hear every conversation going on in the gallery just on the other side of the stage. He could hear girls and guys alike, some already screaming and others chatting casually as Ichigo imagined them milling around the bar area before show time. Jesus, he was hyperventilating again.

Soul Society had performed a ton of times, but never to a crowd this big. The biggest show Ichigo had ever played was maybe two hundred, and this was three times that, and in a place he had always dreamed of playing, and, let's not add any more pressure by remembering this was a test for Ichigo.

He forced himself to take a deep breath and release slowly, calming his heart, if only just a little.

His cell phone jingled, alerting him to a text message. Ichigo looked over at Ulquiorra, mystified. The band had all given him their numbers a few days ago, but Ulquiorra was the last person to expect a message from.

Ichigo opened it: YOU KNOW THE SONG IS FOR YOU.

Ichigo gawked at Ulquiorra who wasn't even glancing in his direction. He was staring at Grimmjow, who was currently talking to him about something with an intense expression on his face.

Ichigo texted furiously: THERE'S NO WAY…

Ulquiorra: YOU'RE SO DENSE. HE'S ABSOLUTELY CRAZY ABOUT YOU.

Ichigo didn't know what to say to that, but he felt like such an ass for how he had treated Ulquiorra. He was definitely a mystery, but he seemed kind. Maybe the stony Espada had a heart after all. (**Yeah, I phrased it that way on purpose. Manga spoilers! LOL xD**)

Ichigo grinned, knowing the perfect thing to say: I INVITED TOSHIRO FOR YOU. HE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT YOU. SORRY FOR THE SCREW UP, MAN.

Ichigo casually glanced around so it didn't look like he was checking on Ulquiorra's reaction but he saw it all the same.

Ichigo almost choked on his water when he saw Ulquiorra offer the tiniest, crooked grin. Seriously? Wow, he had gotten a real reaction out of him! Woo!

Ichigo opened the new text and couldn't help but grin: THANK YOU.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Ichigo heard Grimmjow say, poking Ulquiorra on the forehead, "did you hear anything I just said?"

Ulquiorra nodded, putting his phone away just as Bubblegum Head appeared, her face beaming, "Kenny's announcing you guys in one minute! Good luck!"

Stark opened his eyes lazily, stretching his arms, "Ah, thanks Squirt."

"Get up, old man," Halibel grinned, punching him on the shoulder, "Time to work."

Grimmjow was handed a cordless microphone, Pantera strapped to his back as Nnoitora had pulled out wicked-looking black drumsticks, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Welcome," boomed Zaraki's voice over the sound system. The crowd burst into cheers and applause, getting riled up as Zaraki tried to talk over them, "You've all been waiting patiently for tonight's live show, and now the wait's finally over. Are you ready to scream?"

The crowd went berserk, chanting and screaming at the tops of their lungs as the lights blacked out in the entire auditorium, throwing Ichigo off for a second. The band made their way on stage under the cover of darkness, positioning themselves as quickly and quietly as possible. Ichigo had an iron grip on his own chord-less mic, remembering Zangetsu was propped up near him when it was time for him to join in. His chest felt tight as he listened to the crowd in front him who were pulling out their cell phones for light, some catching glimpses of the band member's silhouettes on stage and screaming in excitement.

"Ready to rock?" Zaraki continued, his voice deep and guttural as there were hooting and whooping shouts, "Here they are, live in private concert, right here in Karakura, the screaming demons, the howling hollows, ESPADA."

The lights flashed as Ichigo was blinded by the dozens of overhead lights in different hues of bright white light that seemed to defy the color spectrum. Ichigo knew Espada had a reputation for black and white as their logo colors, but this was ridiculous.

Needless to say, Ichigo's ears nearly bled from the screaming crowd. His eyes were adjusting to the harsh lighting and he could make out the dark silhouettes of the crowd. Almost all of them were already jumping in place, the energy flowing into Ichigo like a lifeline.

Stark had his Zanpakuto in hand, his fingers flying over the strings, getting another stream of screaming. Nnoitora banged his sticks together, busting a few incredibly fast beats as Halibel had one of her hands out in a peace sign. Ichigo could hear the whooping calls of the boy fans as they drooled over her abundant perfection.

Ulquiorra quietly stood, his eyes scanning the crowd as if trying to find someone in particular. Ichigo couldn't help but grin: yeah, Toshiro was probably hyperventilating right about now.

He wished he could see them: this was what this was FOR. He wished he could make out Renji's obnoxious red hair, but the lights were just too intense and the crowd was just too big and dark.

"How ya doin'?" Grimmjow said conversationally to the crowd, not too loud and not too soft. The room roared with approval as Ichigo thought some girls were going to crawl right up on the stage, even though it was raised quite high. A few bouncers were already flanking the bottom of the stage, keeping the girls in check.

"Ya ready to get this thing started?" Grimmjow asked, walking across the stage and pointing out at the crowd in different directions, "All of you are here tonight for a reason! All of you feel it, deep in your bones, deep in your souls…you were BORN to rock!"

Ichigo was almost slack-jawed at the raw energy and power Grimmjow was creating. The crowd rippled as if one living being, an ocean of arms and faces and voices. Ichigo had never felt such a thrill rip through him, had never felt such intense energy, not even with his own band. It was a power trip unlike any other.

"Then let's do this," Grimmjow stated, turning and nodding at Nnoitora. Nnoitora grinned savagely, slapping his sticks together, getting everybody organized.

And the music flowed and drove into the crowd, wave after wave of powerful riffs, everybody's fingers flying over their chords and beating on the drums like it was a heart. They had decided to open with a cover song, a song that they had not created themselves but had tweaked to their style.

**[Play "Milkshake" by Goodnight Nurse. You won't be disappointed. –PP]**

Suddenly, the nervousness was gone, the intro too short for Ichigo to think any longer. Grimmjow and Ichigo had practiced this song for hours: he was ready.

Grimmjow's voice exploded over the crowd, deep and attractive, Ichigo matching him with the same energy as they picked up momentum:

"MY MILKSHAKE BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD AND THEY'RE LIKE, 'IT'S BETTER THAN YOURS'. DAMN RIGHT, IT'S BETTER THAN YOURS! I COULD TEACH YOU, BUT I HAVE TO CHARGE!"

As Ichigo began to feel the energy, he jumped around stage, making his way to the other side, Grimmjow owning the song unlike any other. The screaming was deafening.

"LALA, LA LA LA…WARM IT UP. LALA, LA LA LA…THE BOYS ARE WAITING!"

It was a short song, so as the crowd continued to cheer and dance, they effortlessly flowed into the next song. The rest of the show was Espada's original music. Ichigo enjoyed singing backup for 'Remember Until You're Dead' and the screaming that was needed for 'Male Suerte!'. They followed up with 'Stroke of Sanity' and 'You Don't Hear My Name Anymore.'

After that, Grimmjow managed to get the crowd to calm down long enough not to scream ecstatically over him as he introduced the members of the band, starting with Stark, then Ulquiorra, Nnoitora, Halibel, and finally, Ichigo felt the pangs of nervousness again.

"And I'd like to introduce our newest talent and member, Ichigo Kurosaki," Grimmjow said, his voice sultry and playing to the crowd, "Has he disappointed you tonight?"

There were cries of outrage and screams of "NO!" as Ichigo couldn't help but smile.

"Do you want to see more of him?" Grimmjow asked, one of his hands tugging on the neck of his shirt, exposing part of his incredible chest. Ichigo hoped the crowd would attribute his blushing as heat and sweat from the performance.

The crowd screamed even more, some chanting "Ichigo! Ichigo! Ichigo!"

Ichigo bowed sheepishly before sticking his tongue out to the crowd, wiggling his tongue, his tongue ring glinting. Grimmjow gulped: shit, it would not be good to get a boner in the middle of a concert.

"And you lived among him!" Grimmjow said, working the crowd once more, "Born and raised right here in this piss-ass dinky town in the middle of nowhere, little Karakura!"

The crowd laughed, whistled, and cheered. Everybody had apparently taken it as a compliment or a joke. Ichigo couldn't help but agree with Grimmjow.

And the thought of Renji picking his eyeballs off of the fucking floor right now was enough to make him smirk.

"Then ask him!" Grimmjow yelled, pointing a finger out at the crowd, "Ask him for more!"

Ichigo couldn't believe how Grimmjow was controlling the crowd: he was truly the King of the Espada. Ichigo dropped his mic and grabbed Zangetsu off the leaning stand next to him, his fingers coming to life as he played the first thing that came to mind, a little diddy he had been working on in his spare time, a kind of signature sound for himself. He called it…Getsuga Tensho.

The crowd was going ape shit at this point as Ichigo focused, totally lost in his solo piece. He could only hope this was okay; he couldn't see the expressions of awe on the other band members' faces.

Ichigo finally finished, and the cheering had become a beat of clapping, a clapping that was cresting, building and building as the crowd demanded more from the Espada.

"Satisfied?" Grimmjow teased, adjusting his mic onto the lonely stand in front of him and flipping his guitar around from his back to the front, plugging it into the amp provided, "Or are ya ready for more?"

No more questions were needed. It was just too much. The band started up again, going into 'Waking the Demon' and 'Breathe Your Life Into Me'. Ichigo joined Grimmjow again for the last song, playing back up, but the song was so great he just jammed and didn't even think about the crowd as he got lost in the music.

All too soon, it was time to wind down. Ichigo felt like a little kid who was being forced to leave a fun birthday party: he wasn't ready to go home yet.

"I got one more for you," Grimmjow said, pulling up a black stool and adjusting himself accordingly, his prized black acoustic on his lap which was now attached to the amp in place of Pantera, "This is a little something I've been working on, and you're the first to hear it."

The calls were deafening from the crowd again, the excitement quieting down as Grimmjow plucked at the strings before looking up and over at Ichigo for only a second, just a SECOND, and Ichigo knew that Ulquiorra had been telling the truth.

"This is dedicated to somebody…extremely special," Grimmjow murmured as the fan girls melted on the floor, "somebody I sure as hell don't deserve. I missed their call today, so consider this an apology."

Ichigo tried to keep his face neutral as the rest of the band relaxed, the lighting dying down so only Grimmjow was illuminated in a single overhead light, his blue locks falling forwards over his forehead as he began the intro, the room quieting down nearly instantly.

Ichigo was glad the lights were no longer on him and he was not the center of attention, because as Grimmjow began, he thought he felt tears pricking his eyes. Manly tears, of course.

Grimmjow's voice was low, soft, and sultry as Ichigo's heart nearly rammed out of his chest:

"**Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time…**

Surely you can take some comfort knowing that you're mine…

Just hold me tight, stay by my side, and let me be the one who calls you baby all the time…"

"I've found my place, in the world, could stare at your face for the rest of my **days**…

**Now I can breathe turn my insides out, and smother me.**

Warm and alive **I'm all over you**, **would you smother me?"**

Ichigo seriously didn't know how he could control his hammering heart. He put a hand over it, trying to still it, as if he could reach in and strangle it to keep it from making so much noise. Seriously, he didn't know how the crowd couldn't hear it it was beating so loud. Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, unable to take his eyes off of his humbled and sexy boyfriend as he stroked away (**dirty minds, eh? Stroking the GUITAR, kiddies**). The next words nearly had Ichigo in cardiac arrest:

"Let me be the one who never leaves you all alone…I hold my breath and lose the feeling that I'm on my own…Hold me too tight, stay by my side…and let me be the one who calls you **baby** all the time…"

Ichigo nearly swooned, his knees buckling as emotions washed over him. Would it be appropriate to glomp him right now? But Grimmjow continued:

"When I'm alone, time goes so slow…I need you here with me…I've had my mistakes and major heartbreak…still need you here with me…so baby, baby I'm here!"

Seriously, Ichigo couldn't take much more. He was going to lose it. Grimmjow continued, repeating the chorus, his voice rising and falling soulfully, making goose bumps race up and down Ichigo's spine:

"Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time…Let me be the one who calls you baby all the time…Let me be the one who calls you **baby**…The one who calls you babyyyyy."

Grimmjow stopped, looking out at the crowd as it burst into applause and catcalls. The screaming just would never end, would it? The lights flickered again, casting over all of the Espada as the crowd began to chant, Grimmjow standing up, setting his acoustic back on the kickstand.

"Goodnight, Karakura!" he bellowed, waving as the members filed behind stage as the six hundred something people called after them.

They made their way down a separate hallway that was behind stage which led to a private pre-show room, where there were food and drinks waiting for the band. They all collapsed into comfy-looking white globe chairs after piling their plates with food and grabbing bottles of water. They all talked animatedly about the show, how great one song was or how lacking they had felt in another, about the energy of the crowd and how awesome Ichigo had done with his debut. Ichigo couldn't stop smiling, but it was because he couldn't stop thinking about the song Grimm had written for him.

Shit, he needed to be alone with him. Right. Now.

After about an hour of eating and conversation, everybody had settled down enough to watch the large flat screen television that had been provided. They were holed up in their for at least another hour before the crowds would be kicked out and they would be allowed to emerge to talk to the fans that had VIP passes, basic meet-and-greets and Ichigo couldn't wait for that, as his old band would be waiting for him. Of course he had had no intention of hurting Hitsugaya or Byakuya, but obviously they understood his form of punishment for the red pineapple head. But for now, they needed to wait until security cleared out the screaming stalker fans who thought they could sneak away to see the Espada. Security certainly had their hands full.

But somehow, one fan managed to get all the way back to the private room before being dragged, kicking and screaming, by two incredibly buff bouncers. She hadn't been in the room more than five seconds before two huge bouncers were trying to grab her, "NOOOOO! I HAVE to TALK TO THEM!"

"Let's go," one of the bouncers grumbled, fighting to get her back through the door, "how the HELL did this chick get through security anyway?"

The girl chimed in, kicking one of the bouncer's in the knee, "Because I have MAGICAL POWERS!" Wow, this chick really was out of her mind.

"Beats me," the other said, ready to pull the obnoxious girl's hair out of her head as he helped his colleague drag the girl, "but she's one step from having a trespasser's warrant slapped on her. Zaraki's not gonna put up with this shit."

The pouting girl with the gigantic breasts puffed out her cheeks, annoyed, "You don't understand! I'm PRESIDENT of their FAN CLUB! I am ORIHIME INOUE and I am their BIGGEST FAN!"

"Yeah, yeah," the bigger bouncer sighed, finally managing to pry her fingers off of the ledge of the door, "You and a million other girls."

"NOOOO!" the girl continued to protest and fight, although it was no use, "You don't understand! I had thought my true love was Grimmjow, but NOW I realize it's all about ICHIGO! Oh Ichigo, if I had been born into different lives, I would have still fallen in love with only you! Oh, ICHIGO! RESCUE ME! SAVE MEEEEEE!" she bellowed and screamed. The bouncers had finally managed to drag her out of the doorway, her cries lost as the bouncers dragged her past another set of doors and out of the hallways altogether. All the band members just stared where the girl had disappeared from, unable to speak.

"Hey," Ichigo finally said, breaking the silence and pointing a finger at the empty doorway, "isn't that the girl from the diner?"

**I'm working on the next chapter now, so don't freak! I know you were all anticipating the showdown between Renji and Ichigo. It's coming, guys. Drama's a'brewin'!** **O.o!**

**And again, slight Orihime bashing. Ok, not slight, but extreme. I love making fun of her (especially when she said that sappy line in the anime, I thought I was barfing and laughing hysterically at the same time.) I don't know if I got it right…she said something about being born five times or some shit, and every time she would fall in love with Ichigo…some dumb sappy shit like that. Well, too bad, bitch! Everybody knows Ichi's sexing it up with Grimm! ~slaps Orihime in the face with a raw fish~**

**BTW: 'Milkshake' by Goodnight Nurse, 'Waking the Demon' by Bullet for My Valentine, 'Breathe Your Life Into Me' by Red, & 'Smother Me' by The Used. All other songs are made up. In fact, if you're a die-hard fan, you might have recognized all the titles of the other songs are chapters from Bleach. 'Remember Until You're Dead' is one of my favorite chappies because it's when Nnoitora barges in on Grimm and Ichi's epic battle, swats Grimm out of the way, and decides to take on Ichigo. It's just so hilarious, and Nnoitora looks gorgeous on that chapter panel where his tongue is licking the side of his face (swoon~sigh)! The others - I just grabbed Bleach Volume 24 off of my shelf, which features Grimm on the front ~yummy~ and scrolled down the chapter index! xD **

**And yeah, Smother Me is done with piano, but I took creative license and used a guitar. I know, I know, silly me, but that's the song I couldn't wait to use for GrimmIchi! Oh god it's so incredibly addicting and sweet and kawai~ x3**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I UPDATE FASTER (AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED) haha :D**


	12. The Rage and The Seduction

Chapter 12: The Rage & The Seduction

**A bit earlier…let's rewind…**

Renji had never been to Zaraki's before, and to be honest, he was stoked to be there, even if it was for the strangest of reasons.

He knew who was performing here tonight, and he refused to believe it until he fucking saw it with his own eyes. There was no way Ichigo was claiming what he was claiming: it just wasn't possible. It didn't make any logical sense, and Renji wanted it to be some fucking ridiculous mix-up.

Maybe Ichigo simply had gotten a job at Zaraki's. Not unheard of: a hard-ass place to get a job at, but not impossible. Maybe Ichigo was bartending tonight, or working sound booth, or maybe he was a backstage slave.

Renji didn't care if he was the fucking water boy: there was just no way that Ichigo could possibly be performing with Espada.

Toshiro, Byakuya, and Rukia were behind him as he made his way into the auditorium, dressed in his usual jeans and a white tee that showed off his extensive tattoo work. His hair was styled down today, getting a lot of stares as usual at the crazy bright copper-red color.

Renji grabbed a few drinks at the bar, fidgety. They had an hour to kill until the performance, and he wanted to make sure he was as close to the stage as possible, so he took his drinks back to the main part of the auditorium to insure their standing seats.

Toshiro was talking quietly with Byakuya while Rukia had her arms crossed over her chest, looking uncomfortable. Renji sighed: things had only gotten weirder between them since Renji had decided to blab about what had happened. After the blowup with Ichigo, Rukia had come to his apartment, screaming and even more violent than Ichigo had been. There had been even more fighting, and more fighting, and usually Renji didn't have a problem with aggressive behavior, but he was so over this brooding bitch. It was just as much her fault as it was his, and the glances he got from Byakuya made his cheeks burn.

Yeah, one night of incredible mind-blowing sex with one of his best friends had definitely made Renji's life a tad more complicated. Shit, not to mention he had been submissive for the first time in his life and taken it in the ass like a fucking chick. But dammit, just thinking about how Byakuya had dominated him, had made him scream and whine and beg and cum so many times made Renji a little more than hot and bothered. He had passed out from the heavenly experience, and when he had woken up, Byakuya had still been there by his side, his arm curled around him protectively, warm. Renji had never cuddled before: it had felt strange but eerily good.

But that didn't mean Renji had let it happen again. It seemed Byakuya had backed off as well, unsure of how to proceed. Renji didn't know what to do about it either, but here they all were, four people feeling incredibly uncomfortable around each other but unwilling to pass up such an exclusive opportunity. Oh how fate had fucked him.

Some more awkward silence and staring and a few drinks later, it was time for the performance. People were clustered all around them now, pushing them more central into the stage area so that they were about halfway back. It was as good as it was going to get, and in the end, Renji wasn't sure if he actually wanted to be that close to the stage.

A powerful booming voice came over the sound system, the lights going out after, the crowd in fits of screaming. Renji had his arms crossed over his chest, standing tall and defiant: what the hell was going on?

"...the howling hollows, ESPADA."

Well Renji's eardrums had been blown out by the obnoxiously big-breasted girl that had pushed into his side. If he wasn't so annoyed at her fangirling, he would have taken a moment to appreciate her gigantic breasts and nice ass. With all the screaming and cheering, he still managed to hear the girl say something about being president of a fan club.

The overhead lights blazed to life, revealing the band on stage. Renji's eyes traveled across the famous faces in a zig-zag pattern as his brain tried to process what he was seeing as they finally fell on the orange-haired punk in the corner.

"Holy FUCK," Renji breathed, feeling as if the air had been knocked out of him.

"Oh my god!" Rukia exclaimed, almost falling into Renji as the screaming continued. Grimmjow had started saying something to the crowd, getting them even more fired up, but Renji was hearing nothing but static noise as he stared at his best friend living a dream.

Renji's eyes traveled over Ichigo hungrily, as if a starving man seeing food again for the first time in days. And shit did the berry look good. He was dressed simply in dark grey jeans, his wallet chain gleaming in the light, his black converse scruffy but they matched his black shirt with the white (Hollow) skull logo on the front. His hair was as it had been all of Renji's life, spiky and edgy. Ichigo's cinnamon eyes were hard, gleaming, determined.

Suddenly the music started pounding into the crowd, wave after wave of intense sound that had the crowd jumping in place, some teenagers even trying to start a mosh pit. Renji was a stone among a sea of roiling seaweed, still so numb.

Had he even blinked since the show began? They were well into their fifth or sixth song rotation when Grimmjow addressed the crowd again, giving Ichigo the spotlight. Renji clenched his fists at his sides as he listened to Ichigo's Zanpakuto sting out Getsuga Tensho, each bristling note like a cut against his skin.

Renji's knees nearly buckled at the amount of energy the crowd gave back, jumping and yelling and screaming their approval. Renji swooned slightly, afraid he might fall over. Byakuya glanced at him, solid and quiet. He put a hand on Renji's shoulder, but he shook it off. Damn Ichigo. Damn him straight to hell!

**XXX**

…**and fast forward…**

"Isn't that the girl from the diner?"

Ichigo's question didn't get an answer, simply a snort from Grimmjow as he soon started bursting into fits of laughter. Nnoitora and Stark joined in, and Ichigo couldn't help but laugh to. Man, that chick needed serious help.

"That's not funny," Halibel said, laying back on the couch, her eyes murderous, "How come there's never any hot hunks busting down the doors? Nobody ever comes through the back door for me."

Stark smiled evilly at Nnoitora before saying, "I'd be more than willing to go through your back door, Hal. Several times, in fact."

Nnoitora was laughing so hard it was impossible not to laugh with him. His body was literally convulsing as he held his stomach. Was he going to explode?

"Ah shit, that was perfect," he finally breathed, slapping Stark a high-five as Halibel's fist connected with Stark's jaw.

He fell back from the force, nearly knocking himself off of the couch. "Ow."

"Ass holes," Halibel hissed, kicking Nnoitora in the shin.

"Ow! Dammit!" Nnoitora whined, kicking out at Halibel with one of his massive combat boots, "You fuckin' psycho bitch!"

"Don't call me that!"

"But 'cha are!"

"At least I'm not the one who looks like a fucking SPOON!"

Nnoitora growled, his un-eye-patched eye narrowed, "The LAST person I wanna be gettin' fashion advice from is YOU. If I ever wanna learn how to hang my titties out, I'll give ya a call."

Halibel's face colored in embarrassment and rage. Everybody in the room silently agreed; Halibel just dressed too sexy sometimes, "You…you…I hate you!"

Halibel launched herself at Nnoitora, her momentum sending Nnoitora sprawling off of the couch and rolling to the side, both kicking and punching each other. This just sent Stark into fits of laughter as Ulquiorra shook his head, sighing.

"Chill the fuck out," came Zaraki's voice as he entered the room, his steel gaze on the two fighting misfits, "We just remodeled this room."

"It's time!" little Bubblegum Head said, popping out from behind her father, giggling, "They're waiting for you guys!"

"Yachiru, why don't you go find Ikkaku and help him clean up the equipment?" Zaraki said, his hand massive on top of her head, as if he were grasping a grapefruit, "I'm sure he needs your help."

"Okay, Kenny!" she sang, prancing out the door singing to herself.

Zaraki sighed again, as if he held the weight of the world on his shoulders, "We got 'em lined up as usual."

Everybody nodded, standing up from their assorted places around the room and heading out the door. Ichigo lingered behind, noticing Grimmjow would be the last to leave the room. As soon as Ulquiorra's dark head disappeared into the low-lit hallway, Ichigo felt himself pulling on Grimmjow's neckline.

Grimmjow stopped, turning slightly to look back at him.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo began, finally letting go of his shirt.

"Yeah?" blue eyes locked on brown ones.

"Um," Ichigo mumbled, looking away, "After this, when it's over…come over, okay?"

'Wow, smooth' Ichigo complained in his head. Way to fuck up a booty call. Then again, this was the first booty call Ichigo had ever made in his life, not to mention it was with a male and he wasn't using a phone. Honestly there was nothing he would rather do than fuck with Grimmjow right now, but they had a job to do and it would have to wait.

Grimmjow's face contorted into a lopsided grin that made Ichigo take in a breath: did he even know how damn beautiful he was?

"Okay," Grimmjow said, brushing his lips against Ichigo's quickly. Ichigo shivered at the contact, already wishing they were back at his place, "We both got hot-headed, and I was wrong. I shouldn't have said you were mine."

"I was the idiot," Ichigo said, knowing his cheeks were flaming, "I shouldn't have gotten so defensive. That was stupid."

"Then I'm stupid too," Grimmjow said, tilting Ichigo's head up with one hand and kissing him softly. Ah, but it was perfect. Ichigo would never get used to how amazing Grimmjow's kisses felt. It was sweet, but Ichigo grew impatient and nipped at Grimmjow's bottom lip, making him chuckle.

"Sorry to spoil the moment," Ulquiorra said from the doorway, his green eyes fixed on Ichigo's flaming cheeks, "but we all have to walk out together. We've been waiting at the end of the hall."

But Ichigo had a rebound, so he grinned sweetly at Ulquiorra and raised an eyebrow, "Tosh texted me after the show. Anxious to get out there, huh?"

Ulquiorra's eyes seemed to glitter, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk. It was so slight that nobody probably would have picked up on it if he hadn't been standing so close, "Perhaps."

A moment later they arrived at the end of the hallway, the band entering the auditorium together. The band members were in procession as they entered the gallery area once more, several fans squealing and waving. There were one hundred people total, as only one hundred VIP passes had been given out for this event. Staring at the line of waiting fans suddenly intimidated Ichigo.

"Over here," Shuhei called, one of a few bouncers keeping the line in check, "We got a table set up."

Ichigo followed the other members to the white table with high-backed white chairs, still trying to process what was happening. The next hour was nothing but squealing, hyperventilating fans as pictures and posters were signed. And sometimes body parts. Several boys had asked Ichigo or Stark to sign their guitar arms, while more than a few girls asked Nnoitora to sign somewhere on their chests. It was pretty amusing.

"And wha's yer name?" Nnoitora said huskily, leaning over the table towards one young woman.

"They call me Mistress Penelopye," the woman said, her eyes heated as she held out a Sharpie marker, "Mind signing?"

Nnoitora licked his lips, studying the attractive girl with an attentive violet eye, "Sure thing, sweetie. Where ya want it?"

Mistress Penelopye grinned, leaning forward towards the table, the tops of her breasts exposed in the cute but sexy black corset, "Wherever you want."

Ichigo was on the verge of hiding behind his hands: wow, that fan sure was flirtatious, and Nnoitora was giving it right back to her in spades.

He laughed, squiggling 'To My Mistress. Love, Nnoitora Jiruga' in fancy, jagged script on the woman's chest, ending it with a tiny black heart.

"Now ya can carry my lil' black heart with ya," he said teasingly, the woman giggling as she moved away, Nnoitora staring at her ass until she disappeared from the line.

Ichigo looked next to him at Grimmjow, who had signed some hands and more than enough pictures of his face or modeling ads that had been torn out of magazines. Ichigo had forgotten about Grimmjow's fledgling career in modeling cologne and clothes. There were rumors that he was in the picking pool to be the next face for Rose, a very tall, beautiful and blonde male designer that was hot this season.

Ichigo had just finished signing a punk dude's wrist when the shit hit the fan.

"What the FUCK is going on?" Renji bellowed, slamming his hands down on the table in front of Ichigo. Sure, of course his old band mates would have waited to be last.

A bouncer moved forward, ready to spring, but Ichigo held up a hand, "No, it's cool."

The bouncer relaxed slightly, uncertain as Renji's eyes flashed fire, "You motherfucking LIAR! How long you been keeping this from us, you bastard? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

The other Espada looked unconcerned, but Ichigo felt the tension rolling off of Grimmjow.

"I'm an ex-member of Soul Society. That's all you need to know," Ichigo said, standing up out of the chair, his hands on the table as he leaned forward, "Besides, why do YOU get to dictate what I do with MY life? You have nothing to do with me anymore."

"Goddammit!" Renji seethed, turning away before coming back in Ichigo's face. Ichigo heard Byakuya murmur something about stopping while Hitsugaya was trying to grab Renji's shoulder. Renji shrugged him off, leaning back across the table, his body coiled as if to pounce, his face feral, "I don't know who you had ta fuck ta get here, but this is BULLSHIT. This's got nothing to do with your fuckin' talent! You sold us out! Fucking LEFT because you're a pussy who can't satisfy his bitch girlfriend!"

Oh, that was IT.

Ichigo launched himself across the table, landing on the ground and pulling Renji around, Ichigo now straddling Renji as he pounded his fists across Renji's flesh. Ichigo was enjoying the wet snapping sounds. Two bouncers reacted but were lost as to what to do. Renji managed to block his face with one hand as his other slammed into the side of Ichigo's face, momentarily stunning him.

"Stop it!" Toshiro commanded, but no one was listening.

Ichigo felt blood on his knuckles as iron arms wrapped around his ribs, pulling him off of Renji in one smooth motion.

Grimmjow glared down at Renji, his face as ominous as Armageddon. He gripped the front of Renji's shirt with one hand while Byakuya and Hitsugaya hovered. Grimmjow pulled Renji's face up farther so that Renji could effectively stare into the eyes of death, "He IS here for his talent, you fucking cockroach. Ichigo has more talent in his fucking pinkie finger than you have in your entire body."

Renji was still struggling and became angry, spitting a wad of spit and blood onto Grimmjow's face, "You don't know anything! He fucking LEFT us high and dry to play rock star! Fucking wake up, Ichigo! You gonna give up your life to fucking roll with these people?"

Grimmjow wiped the blood from his face with a hand, pulling his arm back, Ichigo's stomach clenching as Grimmjow slammed it down.

But not into Renji's face. The room echoed with the force of Grimmjow punching the wooden floorboard next to Renji's face, Ichigo afraid he had broken his fucking hand.

"Shut your MOUTH," Grimmjow commanded, his voice like a snarl, "You're the motherfucker who gave him the opportunity. You're the reason he left, ass hole. Stop blaming other people for your problems."

Renji had flinched at the impact of the punch, but was now blinking up at Grimmjow with his jaw clenched, "How did YOU get involved in this, huh? Why you protecting him? He your fucking BOYFRIEND?"

Grimmjow nearly snapped, a vein standing out on his neck. He had trained in several martial arts since elementary school, his various foster parents hoping it would help channel his anger issues. Mix in a couple more years of fighting on the streets and more than a year studying Muay Thai fighting styles on a whirl-wind trip with Noitora in Thailand, he was a force to be fucking reckoned with. But, all the training had also taught him a degree of patience and to stop and think: he knew Renji was pissed, and pissed people ran their mouths and tried to antagonize. Renji WANTED the fight to continue. Renji WANTED there to be more destruction.

For that reason alone, it made Grimmjow breathe in through his nose, trying to calm his heated muscles. He knew he could lay this fucking faggot out right here, right now, but what would that accomplish? It would just be more trauma for the berry to go through. Ichigo didn't deserve this, not this.

"Maybe I fucking am," Grimmjow hissed quietly, low enough for only Renji to hear. He finally pulled his fist away from the floor, revealing the cracked and splintered board beneath. His fist would bruise hours later, but Grimmjow had broken much thicker boards than this, so he wasn't worried about the repercussions of his aggressive actions. He raised his voice, releasing his hold on Renji as he stood up, "Now get the fuck out."

The bouncers moved forward, grabbing Renji's shoulders and pushing him along as he cursed, but he knew he had lost. Although now he would live to fight another day.

Ichigo barely looked at Rukia as she followed after Renji, but he had seen the cold stare. Yeah, make it HIS fucking fault that Renji had gotten the shit beat out of him. What had she expected exactly? A fucking hugging reunion?

"You're so bitter," she murmured, tapping Byakuya's shoulder, "Come on. He needs a ride home."

Byakuya's eyes landed on Ichigo's for a moment, his expression neither uncaring nor heated. Ichigo felt shame wash over him at Byakuya's indifferent stare, but he simply nodded and headed after Rukia, Renji not far ahead of them as he was practically dragged out.

"Toshiro," Byakuya called, turning around slightly, "We're leaving."

"I'm not getting in the car with that idiot!" Toshiro exclaimed, his body frigid with anger, "I'll catch a ride home with Ichi. I'm not dealing with Renji's shit."

Ichigo half-expected Byakuya to argue: after all, Byakuya was as loyal to Renji as he was to anybody, including Ichigo and Tosh. But Byakuya simply nodded his head as if to grant permission, then turned his back and left without even a goodbye.

Ichigo didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing. Was Byakuya pissed at him now? And to make things worse, Toshiro was upset about the whole situation. Ichigo rubbed his shoulder, contemplating the results of his actions. It had been so stupid to give those passes to Tosh: his revenge had only hurt people he cared about. Even though he was still extremely bitter towards Rukia, he hadn't liked that sorrowful look in her eyes.

And she had called him bitter. Ichigo was starting to realize that he was, because he still hadn't forgiven them.

"Che, you shoulda broken the fucker's face," Nnoitora scoffed, his army boots now planted on top of the table as he leaned back. And that was why Nnoitora was such a good guy to have around: even though his comment didn't help with the awkward tension, it seemed to shake Ichigo and Grimmjow out of their reveries. Toshiro was still standing nearby, his arms now crossed over his chest as his crystal aqua eyes burned with resentment.

The bouncers apologized several times to Grimmjow, concerned that he had hurt himself in the scuffle. It wasn't that they particularly cared about Grimmjow himself, but Zaraki would fire them and have to pay an ass load in insurance fees if the rock star had been injured. It was possible that even Renji would press charges, so Ichigo had no doubt that Renji had been dragged to the hub of security for questioning. Ichigo also realized that Aizen would probably have to pay Renji and the rest of the band to keep their mouths shut about what happened. If an accident like this got out to the media, it would tarnish Grimmjow's star reputation.

And fuck, not only that, Ichigo had just jeopardized his precarious position in the band. He slapped a hand against his forehead, completely exasperated with himself. Aizen would be furious: there was no way he was going to get a spot in the band now. He had blown it, all because he couldn't control his temper over some hateful and hurtful words.

"Dammit," Ichigo moaned, slamming his fist against the table, "FUCK!"

The others looked at him, some surprised and others not. Ichigo was fuming with an abundance of emotions that he didn't know how to handle all at once. It was too fucking claustrophobic.

"Let's get out of here," Grimmjow offered, nodding his head back at the other Espada, "let's go fuckin' celebrate. We worked hard today."

Nnoitora practically jumped up, cackling, "Let's go! I wanna fuckin' party!"

Stark smirked in agreement while Ulquiorra's eyes never left Tosh. Tosh was lost somewhere in Awkward Land, a place that Ichigo had visited frequently.

"Yeah, let's go," Ichigo agreed, slapping a hand on Tosh's shoulder, "let's go have some fun. Forget about this shit."

Tosh nodded slowly, still angry over the display. Ichigo just didn't know if all that anger was directed only at Renji: after all, Ichigo had pretty much escalated the physical blowout, "Yah. I need a drink."

"I second that motion," Stark said, holding up a hand, "All those in favor, say I."

"I," Halibel said, offering a smile. Ichigo was surprised she was not her fired-up, usual self. She had been rather quiet since the scuffle with Nnoitora.

"I," Ulquiorra said, his eyes still trained on Tosh.

"I," Ichigo said, his brown eyes on Grimmjow's cooling blue ones.

"And I," Grimmjow said, whipping out his cell phone.

"Who you callin'?" Nnoitora asked, voicing everyone's question.

Grimmjow grinned, "Zaraki's hidin' around here somewhere. Gotta make reservations for a private room at his night club, TERROR."

Nnoitora let out a whooping noise as Halibel clapped her hands together, bouncing in place, her boobs jiggling dangerously in her tight revealing shirt, "We haven't been in so long!"

"Sounds like a plan," Stark agreed, slinking an arm around Halibel's shoulders.

"Sounds good," Ulquiorra added, moving so that he was standing a few inches away from Toshiro, their arms nearly touching.

"Never been," Tosh admitted, looking to his right to stare at Ulquiorra, "Um, can we talk?"

The others were talking now, so only Ichigo had heard the mumbled question by Tosh. He grinned before looking back over at Grimmjow, who was talking animatedly with his hands.

"Hell ya, Z! Come on, we're dyin' for a night out! Come on, hook us up. You know you want to!"

Ichigo could almost picture Zaraki's sigh, his booming voice loud as he answered.

"You're the fuckin' best. I don't care what they say about you," Grimmjow said, hanging up on Zaraki, "He's phonin' ahead for us, makin' sure we get the usual VIP treatment."

Everybody whooped, heading towards the back entrance where the limo would be waiting. Two bodyguards awaited them with the doors of the limo open, one of them looking very familiar.

Then Ichigo remembered, "You're the dude from Karaoke."

The broad older man let out a guffawing laugh, his black hair slicked back, his face looking as if cut from rock. He looked pretty good in a suit and tie, "Glad ya remember me, Ichigo. Ganju's the name."

"Yeah, I remember," Ichigo said, offering a grin as he loaded into the limo with the others, "Good ta see ya."

"And I was right, wasn't I?" Ganju said, winking, "Good thing I gotcha singing that night, huh?"

Ichigo whipped his head around, staring at Ganju as if he were Jesus Christ himself. That's right: Ganju had been the one to get him up and singing in the first place, had gotten the crowd's attention at the bar, and had ultimately been the reason Ichigo had gotten any attention from Grimmjow. Obviously there was no way Ganju had known Grimmjow was going to be there that night, but it still freaked Ichigo out to think how everything had progressed from that one drunken moment in time. Fuck, he owed all of this craziness to this tall, bulky drunkard from VIZARD'S, "Uh, yeah, thanks."

It was such a lame thing to say, but Ichigo couldn't stop thinking about luck and fate for the rest of the drive.

**XXX**

Ichigo finally managed to unlock the door to his apartment, practically falling in because Grimmjow had been using his wicked tongue on the back of Ichigo's neck.

Ichigo released another moan as Grimmjow nipped at his earlobe, making the teenager mewl.

It was almost four in the morning, but in Ichigo's mind, the night was just beginning. TERROR had been a blast, but during all the dances and drinks, Ichigo had only had his mind on when he would be allowed to touch Grimmjow again. He had been burning for kisses and caresses for hours, and now he was finally fucking getting them.

"I fucking love your skin," Grimmjow breathed into Ichigo's ear, his large hands running under Ichigo's t-shirt, caressing the velvet-soft skin of his ribcage.

Ichigo sucked in a breath, turning in Grimmjow's arms to lock his arms around Grimmjow's neck, staring into the bluenette's heated eyes, "J-just stop talking."

Grimmjow chuckled as he nipped and kissed Ichigo's swollen lips, eventually working his way down Ichigo's neck as the berry arched in his arms.

Shit, foreplay wasn't going to last for very long.

Grimmjow finally managed to wrestle Ichigo against the wall of the living room, his knee moving between Ichigo's legs, making him gasp, but Grimmjow continued the assault on Ichigo's neck, thinking it was quite possible for him to eat the sweet berry alive.

Grimmjow, now thoroughly aroused and beyond aggressive, ripped at Ichigo's shirt, tearing it from his body in two pulls. Ichigo gasped in surprise, but Grimmjow figured he was too aroused to be upset that he had just ripped a good shirt.

Grimmjow began trailing kisses down Ichigo's chest, paying particular attention to hard-rock nipples.

"N-nah," Ichigo murmured, his legs shaking, "D-don't do that! I'm n-not a chick."

"But ya like it," Grimmjow said heatedly, swirling his thick tongue around a nipple.

Ichigo moaned, unable to stop himself. Shit, that felt so good, but he would never admit it aloud. He still had his pride as a man…

"Fuck!" Ichigo practically shrieked as Grimmjow had reached one of his hands down the back of Ichigo's pants, his finger probing at Ichigo's hole.

"Tell me to stop," Grimmjow challenged, grinding their covered erections together as Grimmjow's finger teased his entrance and his teeth nipped at Ichigo's chin.

Ichigo cried out, feeling tears in his eyes, but they didn't spill over. His heart was going to beat right out of his chest. He was going to die, he was sure of it. He had some alcohol in his veins, but he had only drunk enough to ensure he would have courage. He was beyond scared about going all the way with Grimmjow, but he wanted this. Not only his body, but his heart yearned for it too.

"S-shit," Ichigo practically gasped, one of his arms wrapping like iron around the back of Grimmjow's neck. His other hand rested on Grimmjow's cheek as his eyes tried to focus on the bluenette's face, "God, Grimmjow, just...take me to bed."

Oh FUCK. Grimmjow's shuddered breath racked his whole body as he tried to control himself. If this was Ichigo's bedroom voice, Grimmjow was never going to let him leave the bedroom ever again.

But he had to ask, "You sure, Ichi?"

"God, yes," Ichigo panted, bucking his hips instinctually. Grimmjow grunted, knowing his dick was about ready to explode, and he hadn't even done anything yet.

"Okay," Grimmjow reassured, attacking Ichigo's mouth again in a passionate kiss before breaking it off and pulling Ichigo with him, trying with all of his might not to just fling the redhead over his shoulder and run to the bedroom.

They crashed through the bedroom door very similarly to how they had come through the apartment door, only this door made slightly more noise as the wood cracked along the hinge and made a deafening slamming noise as it hit the wall, probably punching a small hole through the dry wall because of the knob.

But neither paid attention to these small details as their tongues battled and their bodies begged for friction. Grimmjow pushed Ichigo onto the bed, crawling over him, holding his weight up with his powerful arms. Ichigo flung his shirt up and over his head in a split second, his arms wrapping around Grimmjow in practically the same moment, reminding Grimmjow that Ichigo wanted this just as badly as he did.

Grimmjow's heart felt like it would burst as he kissed the berry into oblivion, nipping the berry's bottom lip hard enough to draw a droplet of blood. He ran his hands over Ichigo's perfect chest. Smooth skin and nearly caramel-colored nipples greeted him, reminding him that his dick was throbbing in pain at this point.

"Do you have…?" Grimmjow let the question hang as Ichigo arched his back again, effectively rubbing their erections together and making Grimmjow moan slightly.

"In the drawer," Ichigo managed, kissing Grimmjow again before rolling over to the side dresser and drawing out a tiny bottle of lube. Grimmjow grabbed it from the berry before distracting him with another series of kisses and touches, finally managing to get his hands down the berry's jeans, slipping them off as far as he could get them before Ichigo's fingers started playing with Grimmjow's belt buckle.

"Let me help ya with that," Grimmjow smirked, leaning back on his knees to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. Ichigo licked his lips, unable to stop staring at Grimmjow's incredible chest. He was chiseled to perfection: there couldn't be an ounce of fat anywhere on this Adonis. It suddenly made Ichigo self-conscious as he stared at the washboard abs, the deep set of his chest bone creating wicked peaks that suggested intensive upper-body workouts on a regular basis. Ichigo loved Grimmjow's body: it was built without being brawny. Grimmjow didn't look like a body builder, but he could kick a body builder's ass, which was another turn on.

Ichigo shimmied out of his jeans, letting them land on the floor as he tackled his shoes and socks, then aggressively tore off Grimmjow's socks, making the rock star laugh.

"So impatient," Grimmjow sighed against Ichigo's mouth when they were finally naked. Ichigo hadn't even remembered removing his boxers: or had Grimmjow removed them? Such trivial details as Ichigo mewled into Grimmjow's mouth, their weeping cocks rubbing against each other. Ichigo couldn't help but arch his back again, his hips snapping forward, making Grimmjow hiss into his mouth.

Grimmjow laved over Ichigo's subtly-defined abs, enjoying the trail down to his hairless navel and lower. Ichigo bucked against him as Grimmjow licked Ichigo's growing cock, one of his hands anchored on the bed as the other helped spread Ichigo's legs out. Grimmjow was doing his best to prepare the berry: he was so afraid Ichigo would back out of this, and he couldn't let that happen. Not now, not now that he had finally realized his feelings for the berry.

Shit, and he did have intense feelings for the berry.

Grimmjow continued to tease Ichigo's cock as he squeezed some lube on Ichi's puckering entrance, pleased when Ichigo swallowed a finger with no problems or protests. Perhaps Grimmjow was distracting Ichigo Junior enough that it hadn't registered yet.

But it did on the second finger. Ichigo gasped, his eyes screwed shut as his body adjusted to the sensation. Grimmjow slowly moved his fingers, curling them until he thought Ichigo was ready for more. On the third finger, Ichigo moaned and shuddered, his velvet insides clenching Grimmjow's fingers and making Grimmjow lightheaded. Shit, he wanted to be in the berry NOW.

Grimmjow quickly squirted a little more lube on his own length, noticing the scent. He couldn't help but smirk: of course it was strawberry.

He leaned forward over Ichigo and kissed him gently, Ichigo's eyes closing as his body began to relax, his legs still open as Grimmjow guided his dick into the prepared entrance.

"Ahn!" Ichigo cried, his stomach clenching as Grimmjow had only slipped the head in.

"A little more, Ichi," Grimmjow husked, nuzzling Ichigo's neck before bracing his arms and pushing forward.

He moaned low in his throat as he continued to slide into the berry, Ichigo gasping and cursing as Grimmjow finally had his entire length sheathed in Ichigo's tight heat.

Grimmjow shifted his weight slightly, unintentionally stroking Ichigo's prostate. The moan Ichigo issued was unlike any Grimmjow had ever heard, sending excited ripples down the Espada's spine. He had almost cum right there.

"I'm gonna move," Grimmjow whispered, trying to control his throbbing need. Ichigo rested his head up against Grimmjow's chest, his eyes squeezed shut. Grimmjow pistoned slowly, trying to gage the berry's reaction. He was still slightly uncomfortable, but Grimmjow knew he would feel amazing in a few moments.

"It – it hurts," Ichigo moaned, his arms on either side of Grimmjow's ribcage.

Grimmjow kissed his worries away, spreading Ichigo's knees farther apart, shifting the angle once again. This time, the berry cried out as if stunned, so Grimmjow thought it was alright to begin moving more quickly. He was very careful, trying not to lose to his lust, but it was so damn hard, especially when Ichigo was writhing and panting beneath him, murmuring his name and driving Grimmjow to the brink of insanity.

"G-Grimm," Ichigo moaned, his hips bucking up, "More, I want more."

And here. We. Go.

Grimmjow gave in at that moment, thrusting harder, deeper into the berry. Ichigo screamed as Grimmjow began striking his prostate over and over again, the rhythm building and building until Ichigo's hips were instinctually meeting Grimmjow's thrusts, his neglected cock beginning to be pumped by Grimmjow in time to their lovemaking.

"Ga-awwd," Ichigo called out, his legs now locked around Grimmjow's lower back, their bodies slick with sweat as Grimmjow continued his unmerciful assault on the berry's body, "F-fuck, oh God, Grimmjow! Grimmjow…"

"Ichigo," Grimmjow answered, his voice thick as he felt his release coming, "I'm gonna…"

Ichigo's nails scratched down Grimmjow's back, grabbing at his shoulder blades as he tried to focus, "J-just…cum inside me."

No sooner had those heated words left Ichigo's mouth then Grimmjow moaned deep and long, his seed spilling into the berry as Ichigo clenched around him, screaming Grimmjow's name only seconds after, spraying both their bellies in berry juice.

Grimmjow nuzzled into Ichigo's neck, trying to catch his breath. He was still buried balls-deep inside the berry, his mind dancing with blinding white light. Shit, that was by far the best orgasm he had ever had.

He finally lifted himself up enough to pull out of Ichigo with a pop, resting next to Ichigo for several minutes as they caught their breaths before suggesting they take a shower.

Ichigo stood uncomfortably for a minute before making his way to the tiny bathroom and turning on the faucet to hot. He climbed in, pulling on Grimmjow's hand as they stood cramped together in the ridiculously small shower. Grimmjow's head brushed against the nozzle, his hair now tamed as it lay wet on his shoulders, the water running rivers down the two boys' naked bodies.

Grimmjow carefully lifted his hand and rubbed his fingers along the berry's ass crack, enjoying the moan Ichigo offered him as he helped the berry wash.

Ichigo noticed how many bite marks he had left riddled on Grimmjow's chest: it was almost embarrassing. Ichigo didn't even remember half of the now-forming welts, but he could feel the welts that were growing on his own body. Ichigo felt like his neck had been attacked by a vampire as the hot water spilled over them. Although there was the presented opportunity for hanky panky business in the shower, Ichigo hoped Grimmjow would save it for another day, because Ichigo knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wanted Grimmjow again, possibly every day for the rest of his life, but at the moment, he was exhausted.

He frowned as he climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around himself as Grimmjow grabbed one from the counter beside him. Ichigo didn't know how to feel about falling into the submissive role so easily and so quickly. After all, he had just lost his damn virginity to a guy he had known for a little over a week. Granted, they were crazy about each other, but it made Ichigo a little uneasy. He had never trusted somebody this much, this completely, in such a short amount of time.

"What're'ya thinkin' about?" Grimmjow murmured, kissing Ichigo on the cheek.

Ichigo's face flushed, "About how amazing that was."

Grimmjow's crooked grin set Ichigo's heart racing again. Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's hand, toting him out of the bathroom and back into the futon. They were hardly dry, but Ichigo was eager to feel Grimmjow's warmth as they lay back on the bed together, snuggling against each other as they drifted into a well-deserved and dreamless sleep.

**Jeez, this was such a ridiculous chapter, but I hope you had fun!**

**HAHA and Penny, I hope you liked your little present! I saw on your update that I had encouraged you to update, so what better to make your fingers fly over the keyboard than giving you a smexy flirt scene with our favorite one-eyed guy?** ~ **smirks and winks** ~ **EVERYBODY REVIEW! REVIEWS MEAN LOVE AND MORE GRIMMICHI!** ;D


	13. A Side Story: Fire & Ice

**Many of you were asking, no, DEMANDING Toshiorra, so here it is. So please shut the fuck up now.** Lol just kidding! I love you all. Please Enjoy~

Chapter 13: Fire & Ice

Toshiro had rehearsed his little speech to Ulquiorra dozens of times over the past few days, but now that the raven-haired rock star with gorgeous green eyes was staring at him intently, he felt as if his tongue had gone numb.

He had asked Ulquiorra if they could talk back at Zaraki's, but he hadn't had the courage to confront the stoic guitarist in front of so many people. When they had finally arrived at TERROR, a rave-like nightclub with eerie lighting and mostly goth inhabitants, the band had split like a bad hairline: Ichigo and Grimmjow had hit the dance floor almost immediately, while Stark and Halibel assaulted the bar together like comrades, Nnoitora cutting through the dance floor like a predatory shark on the hunt for some action. The two bodyguards that had accompanied them were hovering, not too far but not too close, just enough distance that they could get to any of them if need be.

Toshiro had decided he needed a drink for liquid courage, ordering a specialty drink called Dragon Ice. He downed it immediately, asking for another before he felt a warm chest press against his back, an even more warm breath on his ear and making his heart flutter, "I believe you wanted to speak with me?"

Toshiro gulped, turning slightly towards Ulquiorra, who, at this moment, was still pressed up against him, but his arms were outstretched on either side of Toshiro, not touching him.

God, how much Toshiro wanted those hands on his skin…

"I do," Toshiro finally said, thanking the olive-skinned, black-haired male bartender as he placed another drink in front of him. He smiled winningly at Toshiro, the two feathers near his eye held in place by some miraculous make up, "No problem, cutie."

Toshiro's face flamed, taking another sip of Dragon Ice when the bartender's face fell slightly. What was wrong?

"Move on, Yumichika," Ulquiorra intoned dangerously, his chin now resting on top of Toshiro's icy hair, "he's mine."

Yumichika giggled but obeyed, going farther down the bar to assist a purple-haired girl with a lot of make up and a gothic ballerina outfit.

Toshiro, finally beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, turned around on the swivel barstool and stared a few inches up at Ulquiorra's mask-like expression. God, his evergreen eyes were deep pools of mystery, and Toshiro couldn't stop staring at them.

"Well?" Ulquiorra challenged, Toshiro's gaze falling on Ulquiorra's pale, kissable lips.

Toshiro licked his lips, "Um, I wanted to apologize, I mean, I ran out, that was stupid…well, I was kind of confused and…I felt like such an idiot about…"

Toshiro's heart slammed against his ribcage as Ulquiorra's cool lips brushed against Toshiro's, his limbs melting, his mind sparking with naughty ideas at the simple show of affection.

Ulquiorra ran his tongue along Tosh's lower lip, making Tosh sigh happily as Ulquiorra deepened the kiss, their tongues searching each other's mouths.

Ulquiorra finally pulled back, Tosh wanting to be annoyed. Stop now? Seriously?

"There's nothing to forgive," Ulquiorra said, one of his hands brushing against Toshiro's chin, "I'm happy you came back. What I want to know is, can I keep you now?"

Toshiro felt goose bumps run up and down his spine as he tried to think of something coherent to offer the man of his dreams. Toshiro was a straight-A college student, excelling in foreign languages and grammar and all he managed was a strangled, "Uh-huh."

Ulquiorra's grin was mouth-watering. It seemed the stoic bass guitarist of Espada only ever showed these little moments to Tosh, which made him feel special. Yeah, they had known each other for only a day, but obviously in these few days apart, both had decided what they really wanted. Logic was Toshiro's greatest ally, but he told it to take a backseat as he picked up the forgotten hitchhiker Need.

"I want you too," Toshiro blabbed without thinking, Ulquiorra's eyes darkening in what Toshiro hoped was lust.

"Come on," Ulquiorra whispered, grabbing Tosh's hand and whisking him across the dance floor, past writhing bodies and a very tall Nnoitra who was currently making out with a very aggressive female. Toshiro's head whipped back to stare at the writing on the woman's chest. He remembered her from the VIP signing: seriously? How fucking lucky was Nnoitra right now?

"It's that Mistress lady," Tosh said above the pulsing bass as Uqluiorra's course changed into a more effective zig-zagging pattern.

"Forget them," Ulquiorra said loudly, "Concentrate."

Oh, Tosh could concentrate all right. Concentrate on what, exactly? His half hard cock or the feel of Ulquiorra's hand gripping his so tight he thought his heart might explode? Or possibly concentrate on the future, territory that scared the hell out of Tosh for some unexplained reason.

Oh yeah, that's right: thinking 'future' in the same sentence with 'relationship' was always a dead end. All of his crushes had either been straight, uninterested, or had stuck him in Friend Zone, a terrifying cage that one could almost never leave once dubbed worthy of it. For fuck's sake, he was 22 years old and still a VIRGIN.

Ulquiorra had finally brought them to a more open area of the club, which led to a lighted winding staircase. Toshiro tried not to trip as he was hurried upward, and Toshiro's previous reverie made him blurt, "um, are we going to do it?"

Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks, turning on the steps to stare down at Toshiro. Toshiro gulped, not trusting that feral look in Ulquiorra's green orbs, "You don't want to?"

"N-no," Toshiro lied, covering his tracks, "it's just…um, it's so…early, isn't it?"

Ulquiorra didn't answer, his grip still reassuring on Tosh's hand, so Tosh continued, "What I meant is, we barely know each other. I – I know you must get a lot of physical activity, being famous and all, but…"

'Oh shut the hell up! Just stop talking!' Tosh's inner voice screamed. 'Jesus, you're so fucking pathetic. Physical activity? That's the best you could come up with, genius? Why don't you just stamp NERD on your forehead and get it over with?'

"I haven't slept with anyone since meeting you," Ulquiorra said, his face serious as usual, "and I don't want to sleep with anyone accept you. You're all I want. If I have to wait ten years, I will."

Toshiro's face was frozen, his eyes wide as he stared at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra decided to finish, "You're all I think about. I couldn't even concentrate at the concert tonight, knowing you were watching me. I've never felt anything like this before, Tosh, not with anyone. It makes it ache," Ulquiorra said, clenching his free hand into a fist and placing it over his heart, "I don't know what's wrong with me. Since I've met you, it's as if it began beating for the first time."

Oh, Jesus. Toshiro's free hand let a finger in one of Ulquiorra's belt loops, letting it hang there as he mumbled something.

Ulquiorra waited patiently for Toshiro to repeat himself.

Tosh finally looked up again, "Me too. I want you so bad it hurts."

Ulquiorra leaned down and kissed Toshiro reassuringly, making him melt again. Shit, if he wasn't careful, Ulquiorra's fire would melt him completely, as if he were made of ice. Toshiro thought it was okay if he ceased to exist in such a way. It was such a pleasant way to die…

Ulquiorra, once again, broke off the kiss and started heading back down the stairs, still clutching Toshiro's hand, "We'll take it slow, I promise. I don't want you to run away from me again."

Tosh lit up again from embarrassment, "I wasn't running…"

"That's okay," Ulquiorra said, giving Tosh another rare grin, his tongue flicking out to touch his lip ring. Tosh sucked in a breath, totally turned on again, "I don't mind the chase."

**Yeah, I know, I suck. Get over it. Don't make me give the speech about 'casual sex' and being responsible and blah-blah-blah. You want this relationship to be meaningful, don't'cha? Or do you all prefer one night of passion and no actual relationship? Personally, I am not a fan of the latter, and I think they are too fucking cute together to be tarnished in such a way. Remember, peeps, Tosh is a blushing virgin! We's gots to be gentle ;P **

**REVIEW. LET ME KNOW YAY OR NAY TO ULQUITOSH/Toshiora/~insert your version here~ ;) Love you all~TPP**


	14. Slay, Demon Tease

Chapter 14: Slay, Demon Tease

Nnoitra scanned the writhing bodies on the dance floor, the hectic beats setting everybody into a frenzy. It wasn't hard to look across the room, considering he was the tallest motherfucker there. His violet eye was scanning the crowd for some new entertainment, considering that hot little slice known as Mistress had had to leave a while ago, but not before scrawling her number on his wrist. He grinned: he was far from done with the night's festivities.

But TERROR was Nnoitra's favorite nightclub for one reason and one reason only: after midnight, the place doubled as a strip joint. Of course the DJ was still mixing hot beats on the huge dance floor, but there was a section of the club that had a great stage like a catwalk, ending in a white circular platform that sported a crystal-looking pole. Nnoitra made his way over in that direction, shaking his head at Zaraki's crazy taste: the murals were black-lighted right now, showing clouds and buildings that were horizontal instead of vertical, making Nnoitra feel as if he were standing wrong. Although he had had a few beers by this point, he knew he wasn't drunk enough for that shit yet.

The first dancer was on at midnight, which was only minutes away. There were more than a few men and women waiting near the stage, smoking, drinking, or chatting to each other. This section of the club was partitioned off by see-through glass, to make sure the rest of the club could see the option of entertainment, but it secluded the bass and noise enough from the other dance floor to not hinder the entertainment of the dancer. Nnoitra plopped down in a purple velvet chair, lounging back and pulling a pack of cigarettes out of one of his many pockets. He lit it with the flick-back silver lighter he had been given years ago by the leader of The Hollows. Jesus, he hadn't seen a gang member in almost four years. He could picture the gang's leader, his foxy face untrustworthy even as he smiled an eyeless smile.

The intercom speakers came to life, cutting off Nnoitra's reverie as he blew out a puff of smoke, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please direct your attention to the Seretei Stage. Live tonight for your entertainment, by popular demand, the tyrant of TERROR, please welcome…Ogihci."

[**highly recommend listening to 'Dope Show' by Marilyn Manson…just try it…**]

An overhead light dimmed on, a blinding white light that revealed the dancer. Holy shit, Nnoitra hadn't expected it to be a male dancer. But he didn't feel himself getting up out of the chair, so he watched some more, a little mystified at the strange spectacle.

The music started up immediately, the stage lit in eerie black lights, smoke descending over the floor of the stage and pooling down the sides, creating a very dreamy nightmare effect. Nnoitra grinned: hell yeah, he was liking this already.

The performer had on a white suit with a black tie, a black fedora angled on his head to shield his face from the crowd, but even from here, Nnoitra could make out the smirk on the young man's face.

The performer swayed his hips in time to the music, the crowd that had gathered cheering and throwing their hands up at his approach. He lifted the fedora finally, looking out at the crowd before predatorily inching forward.

Nnoitra dropped his cigarette, his eye unable to look away from the incredibly pale skin and predatory inverted eyes, the contacts giving the illusion the albino was some kind of demon. The hottest fucking demon Nnoitra had ever seen in his ever-lovin' life.

He remembered to stamp his foot over the forgotten cigarette before he caught the fucking stage on fire, but god DAMN he couldn't look away, especially as the words picked up in the song, the demon god Ogihci pivoted to the side, the fedora now playfully in his mouth as he played with his tie, swaying in a sexy manner. This was no fucking amateur. He knew how to work the crowd, create a character and a story through his stripping, and Nnoitra felt his heart go in his throat.

_D-d-d-drugs, they say, to make us feel so HOLLOW_

_We love in vain, narcissistic and so SHALLOW_

Nnoitra saw yen being thrown onto the stage, men catcalling while women cheered, drunk and excited. Nnoitra couldn't make himself move from his spot as the body continued to sway sensually:

_Cops and Queers, _

_to swim you have to swallow..._

at the word 'queers', Ogihci tugged on his own balls playfully, making some fans hoot with laughter and others whistle as he offered the crowd a nice view of his tight little ass.

…how exactly was it that Nnoitra was getting hard right now?He had never done anything but tease boys about their asses: he had never experimented himself, but staring at this demon stripper made Nnoitra want to crawl up on the stage and mount the little fucker RIGHT NOW.

_We're all stars now, in the Dope Show_

_We're all stars now, in the Dope Show..._

_There's lots of pretty, pretty ones, that wanna get you high..._

Ogihci had finally torn off the white jacket, revealing an incredibly pale and toned chest, a black belly button stud looking good on the man, even though Nnoitra had never seen one on a boy before. Nnoitra licked his lips as Ogihchi rolled his stomach like a belly dancer, his hands on his knees as he dipped low, his ass nearly touching the floor as he came back up, slowly lifting his ass out and up, making the crowd go buck wild. He still had his white pants (which were nearly the same shade as his skin) and the black tie, which was almost hotter than him being naked considering the combination. It was so damn sexy, and that playful, knowing evil smile never left the demon's face. Nnoitra finally got closer to the stage, his blood boiling as he tried to control his lust. Shit, how long was this song anyway?

_But all the pretty, pretty ones, will leave you alone, and blow your mind_

_We're all stars now, in the Dope Show. We're all stars now, in the Dope Show_

_They love you when you're on all the covers, when you're not and they love another_

_They love you when you're on all the covers, when you're not and they love another..._

_Drugs, they say, are made in California_

_We love your face, we'd really like to sell you_

Cops and Queers, make good-lookin' models

_Hate for today, who'll I wake up with tomorrow?_

By this point Ogihci had unzipped his white dress pants, slowly shimmying out of them, revealing a tiny pair of black leather boy shorts. If the pants/tie combo had been hot, this was even hotter. He was slowly crawling across the stage now, gathering up yen and grabbing some from a few onlookers who were thrusting it at him, and he smiled maniacally, tucking the bills away in the tiny shorts, letting some of it hang out. Nnoitra dug in his pocket and pulled out the equivalent of one hundred American dollars, holding it out without even thinking about his actions. Ogihci offered him a sly grin, crawling towards him, his hands pressed down on the stage, his face near his hands as his ass hung in the air. A blue, pierced tongue darted out, licking his lips as he stared at Nnoitra suggestively, undulating his hips several times and making Nnoitra's cock twitch in excitement.

Finally Ogihchi snatched the money with his teeth and pulled back, darting to the pole and swinging himself around on it with his powerful arms, dipping low before coming back up, playing on the pole as if he were dancing with a lover. Nnoitra's forehead had broken into a sweat as his eyes stayed glued to the albino demon with the piercing gold-flecked eyes, his white hair beginning to slick with sweat. His body glistened from the black lighting, his ultra-white skin beautiful as he continued to sway his hips against the pole.

He turned once more on the final words of the song, sliding down the pole as far as he could go, wiggling his ass with the precision of a skilled dancer at a speed Nnoitra had never even seen a girl do. Ogihci dipped his head around to look at Nnoitra again, laughing as he touched his chest.

Che, the little fucking bastard! Teasing Nnoitra Jiruga was NOT a good idea.

The song finally ended, the crowd still going ballistic as Ogihci gathered the fallen money he hadn't picked up and hustled off of the stage, disappearing in to the blackness as a techno track took over the sound system.

Nnoitra made his way through the crowd, approaching the backstage area where a rather large bouncer stood, looking at him disapprovingly.

"Business?" the man said, his voice deep and gravelly.

"Yah," Nnoitra said, giving the man his most maniacal grin, "Got business with the Snowball."

The guy shook his head, "Unless he gave me your name, no getting back there."

"But how's he supposed ta know my name…" Nnoitra drawled, standing up tall and straight to his full height, which was almost a foot higher than this stupid bouncer, "If he hasn't even met me yet?"

"You're not authorized to…"

Nnoitra didn't even think about the consequences of his actions as he slammed his elbow into the man's face. While he was stunned, Nnoitra quickly found the pressure points located behind the ear and neck, dropping the man to the ground. One more quick thrust to the back of the head and nighty-night-sleep-tight. The area was so dark and the club's lights were so flashy Nnoitra didn't even worry about hiding the poor sap. He simply stepped over him with his long legs, opening the black door with a definite click and closing it with a deafening snap.

**XXX**

Ogihci, or better known as Shirosaki as Ogihci was his stage name, pressed a cool towel to his forehead then ran it over his arms, collecting the bit of perspiration that had accumulated. He had taken all the money out of his tight-ass little shorts, trying to hurry up so that he could get out of there before his manager found him and asked him to do another show later that night. TERROR was famous for being freaky, so it usually catered 'more exotic' dancers, such as the albino. Shiro had never let his differences get in the way of him living his life: he was proud of his body and took good care of it, and if he could get people to give him money for showing off his body, then it was his privilege and right to take advantage of the dumb fucks.

He was dog-ass tired, and needed to go back to his dorm and get some sleep before his eight a.m. morning class.

He was tugging on his jeans when his cell phone went off, playing the assigned ringtone, making him smirk:

_You know you want me baby, you know I want you too_

_They call me Superman, I'm here to rescue you..._

Ogihci chuckled into the receiver, "Heyya, Renji-kins. Long time no fuck."

"Cut it out, Shiro," Renji said, clearing his throat, obviously uncomfortable.

This just made Shiro laugh; oh, how he loved to tease the redheaded punk. They had met about a year ago at a club and had gotten frisky, which had resulted in rather mind-numbing alley sex before the night was over. Shirosaki didn't usually go for younger men, but the tattooed monkey beast had been quite attractive and naïve. They were kindred spirits: one-night flings, no commitments, no attachments, nada zip zilch. Renji sought him out every once in a while, either coming to TERROR and watching him strip or calling him up in the early morning for a booty call. Shiro had never minded: after all, the sexy singer was quite amazing in bed, which made Shiro proud to straddle the line between seme and uke. It really didn't matter to him: pleasure was pleasure, and it seemed that Renji was after some more of it tonight.

"So why ya callin' then?" Shiro said, amused but also curious, "I'm actually pretty tired, so if ya don't want a quickie, then fuck off. I ain't stayin' over all night like last time and cuddlin' your bitch ass."

Anybody listening to the conversation would think Shiro was seme in the 'friendship with benefits', but they both knew better. Shiro would bottom for Renji, but Renji couldn't top Shiro's cocky dominance issues.

"I called about something else," Renji continued, sounding flustered, "I need a favor."

Shiro grinned, his surgically-filed canines revealed in the mirror in front of him and making him look absolutely terrifying, "Wha kinda favor, Red?"

"I want you to join Soul Society," Renji replied, letting it hang a moment before continuing, "You used to be in a band and you said you loved it. Why don't you join mine?"

"Well, let's see," Shiro said, collecting all his clothes into his black backpack and zipping it up as he kept his tone sarcastic, "I had ta leave because of money issues. Tuition is fuckin' me in the ass right now; I don't have time to play rock star with you."

Renji didn't even think before he blurted, "Then I'll pay you."

Shiro's face split into a grin, "Really, now? Your little garage mechanic job can afford all that, hn?"

"Fuck you," Renji spat, continuing his logic, "If I pay you, you'll do it?"

Shiro sighed dramatically, imagining triggering Renji's temper. Oh, it was SO easy, but how could he turn down such an opportunity? His old band All The Kings Horses was doing well without him, even though he still kept in contact with them or ran into one of them occasionally. Shiro had loved it: playing electric guitar was one of the few things in life he had always been good at, and giving it up so that he could find more jobs and work more hours had definitely effected his practice time, not to mention how many gigs he had started to miss. The band had finally snapped, not able to take Shiro's restrictions anymore. They had said it was nothing personal, but Shiro was still a little bitter about it.

Shiro knew that All The Kings Horses was entered in the Kanonji Festival.

Well fuck, what luck. Soul Society just happened to be in the line up as well. It was a win-win, wasn't it? And cash? What the hell did Shiro have to lose?

"Tell ya what," Shiro said, pulling his black hoodie on before arranging his backpack on one shoulder, "if ya swear ta pay me what I make at my other job, I'll quit first thing in the morning."

"Deal," Renji said, his voice sounding victorious, "working back kitchen at Tesla's can't possibly earn ya that much."

"No shit," Shiro agreed, heading towards the door of his dressing room, "but money's money. Money talks, Red. Make sure it talks for me and ya got yerself a deal."

"It's on," Renji said, sounding a bit heated, "I'll call ya tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah. Sweet dreams, Red," Shiro said, opening the door at the same moment he hung up.

Well, wasn't this a surprise? An extremely tall (not to mention extremely attractive) young man with a white bandana wrapped around an eye had turned to face him in the hallway, his lean frame braced against the doorway as he leered at the albino, "Heyya, Snowball."

Shiro grinned back, not intimidated by the huge freak in the least, "Heyya yerself. If yer lookin' for a refund, ain't got that policy."

"I'm not lookin' for that," Nnoitra stared down at the little demon dancer, thinking the kid was just as attractive in street clothes as in a pair of boy shorts, "I'm lookin' fer somethin' else."

"Oh really?" Shiro said silkily, casually arranging his feet and moving his shoulder back into a proper fighting stance. He didn't know if he'd need to use his skills, but he would in a heartbeat if the atmosphere got all wrong, "Sorry ta burst yer bubble, but I ain't got time ta fuck with ya tonight."

"Ya sure?" Nnoitra said, pulling a wad of yen bills out of his pocket and letting them rain over Shiro's head, "Are ya really sure about that, Snowball?"

Shiro looked down at the floor at the massive pile of bills. Shit, that was more than enough to pay his dorm rent for the rest of the school year. But dammit, he didn't like arrogant bastards (well, okay yeah he did, but he just wasn't in the mood for this one at the moment) and he had class in the morning and…and…

…that was a hell of a lot of money, "where we goin'?"

**HOLY SHIT I'M ON A ROLE! I CAN'T STOP UPDATING! xD**

**YAY, SHIROSAKI! :D I like him a lot and wanted to incorporate him. Alright was that little twist good or bad? I really wanted to incorporate him into the story and not only get involved with Nnoitra, but involved with Soul Society and ultimately, get involved with Ichigo and their drama. Hopefully that wasn't too farfetched. I was at work yesterday, trying to think of someone that would be interesting with Nnoitra, and BAM! It hit me so hard I just started laughing and my manager was looking at me funny. I couldn't get the idea out of my head once it was born, so here it is.**

**LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. PLEASE REVIEW!** ~TPP

**Oho, I think I had WAY too much fun thinking this scenario up. Not to mention writing it…and oh God, how PERFECT was that song for Shirosaki? (I'll be honest, I picked it because it said Hollow) xD**


	15. bc Transitioning Chapters Are Necessary

**Chapter Fifteen: Because Transition Chapters are Necessary**

Ichigo, who had been enjoying a crazy-ass dream that involved flamingos, cupcakes, and a very naked and hot Grimmjow, was now stubbornly fighting the noise that was a ringtone. He tried to ignore it, but hearing it more clearly now, he hunted around on the floor for his jeans, trying to grab the phone before he missed the call:

_'Ice Ice baby…_

_Ice Ice baby…_

_Stop, collaborate and lis-'_

"Mo-shi moshi," Ichigo said tiredly, rubbing his face with his free hand. He barely ever answered the phone in traditional style.

"Oi," Toshiro replied, his voice excited, "I didn't know when to call you, I mean it's almost one in the afternoon, so I figured you had to be up by then holy shit Ichi last night was AMAZING I can't believe that Ulquiorra and I -"

"Whoa," Ichigo waved a hand in front of him, still trying to focus his eyes, much less focus his brain, "Slow down, Tosh. You're talkin' a mile a minute."

"Sorry," Tosh said, taking a deep breath, "I just don't know who else to talk to about this. I mean, I always suspected you of being gay but now that you're open about it and dating Grimmjow, you're the only person I can ask for advice."

"Advice?" Ichigo mumbled, laying back down in bed and rolling away from Grimmjow so he wouldn't wake him up, "Advice about what?"

"You know…" Tosh drawled, lowering his voice, "s-sex."

Ichigo's face instantly burned and he grunted exasperatedly, "Tosh, shit..."

"We've only known each other for a little while, but…he's just so sweet about it, Ichi. Last night we got in the moment, but then I guess he figured out how freaked I was, I mean, I'm a fucking _virgin_, Ichi! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Uh," Ichigo shifted his legs under the covers, trying to think of something encouraging, "Um, well, if you're positive you want to be with him, then just let it happen. It's about your feelings: if you're not ready for the mental head trip, then don't do it."

"I'm scared," Tosh confessed, his voice almost breaking at the end, "this sucks, asking somebody four years my junior about something like this, but you're the only person I trust besides Byakuya to be honest with me, and Byakuya isn't into guys, so I think I'd be uncomfortable asking him…"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said, yawning again and rubbing an eye, "Just, um, when the moment is right, you'll know."

"That's so cryptic," Tosh complained, sighing, "We hung out all night after that; he didn't take me back to the dorms until almost five in the morning. But we talked Ichi, a lot, and we know so much about each other now. I feel so much closer than before, but I'm still afraid things are going too fast."

"Then slow it down," Ichigo reasoned, not understanding Tosh's logic, "Just don't freak about it. Talk as much as you need: obviously the chemistry is good or you wouldn't be this psyched out."

"I just…don't want to screw this up," Tosh admitted in a whisper, "I think I love him."

"Already?"

"I know it's crazy, but I just KNOW, you know?" Tosh said, his words starting to pick up speed, "He just looks at me that way, and my heart leaps out of my mouth, and then I think I can't breathe when he's talking to me, and he's constantly telling me how amazing I am. I want to be around him all the time, and when I'm not with him, all I think about is when I'll see him again. God, and the dreams…"

Once again, Ichigo was confronted with a visual of a mewling Toshiro, dragging his nails across Ulquiorra's pale skin as he pounds one of his best friends into a mattress, "I'm happy for ya, Tosh. Just…do what you think is right. Listen to your heart."

"Thanks, Ichi," Tosh said, Ichigo picturing his face beaming, "Okay, enough with this sentimental stuff. What're you up to tonight?"

Ichigo tried to sort his brain, remembering it was Tuesday morning and he mentally chastised himself for missing another day of school. Oh well, he'd just go tomorrow and grab notes from Tatsuki, "Don't know. Gotta talk to Grimm; probably band stuff."

"Okay," Tosh said, "but if you end up not having plans, we're meeting up at Byakuya's apartment tonight for pizza and a movie."

"I don't know," Ichigo said, rolling over again, "I don't think Byakuya really wants to talk to me right now."

"Because of Renji?" Ichigo knew Tosh was rolling his eyes, "Whatever, that was stupid. He cant' possibly be mad at you. He even said something so degrading about Rukia! If I was Rukia's brother, I would have decked him too."

"Well, if everything's cool, and I can come," Ichigo sighed, "then I'll see you there."

"Awesome," Tosh ruffled some papers in his hands, "I've got class in thirty, so I'd better get this finished. I'll see ya later, Ichi."

"Later." Ichigo closed his phone and threw it on the bedside table, blushing when he saw the half-used bottle of lube on the edge.

Ichigo gasped slightly as Grimmjow's warm arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him closer and a sinful mouth placing a kiss on the back of the berry's neck.

"Didn't know the back of your neck got as red as your face," Grimmjow murmured, resting his chin on Ichigo's shoulder, "so how's the Icicle? Did he get home okay?"

"Yah," Ichigo said, rolling over to face Grimmjow, "they talked most of the night. Tosh is really happy."

"We didn't get much talking in last night," Grimmjow grinned, placing his hand on Ichigo's ass, "Too busy taking clothes off." Ichigo shivered at the contact, knowing this wasn't helping his morning wood.

Ichigo suddenly frowned, remembering last night, "You ripped my favorite shirt, ass hole."

Grimmjow barked a laugh, "It was soooo worth it. I'll buy ya a new one."

Ichigo smiled, making Grimm's heart skip a beat. He loved every expression the berry made, but he especially liked his smiles. His buttery caramel eyes were seductive as hell.

"I'm hungry," Ichigo complained, listening to his stomach growl. He was suddenly feeling ravenous, and Tosh had told him it was nearly one in the afternoon. Shit, another late start to the day.

"Mm, me too," Grimm murmured, licking Ichigo's cheek and nipping at his ear.

"Dammit," Ichigo sighed, his eyes nearly rolling in the back of his head. He fought Grimmjow half-heartedly, trying to push away, "I'm serious, Grimm. I'm starving."

Grimmjow's tongue was still teasing Ichigo's earlobe, chuckling, "Should be. Burned a lot of calories last night with our…physical activity."

Ichigo let Grimmjow kiss him, his tongue running over his lips, asking for entrance. Ichigo parted his lips slightly, forgetting his stomach for the moment as Grimmjow's hardening cock pressed against Ichigo's thigh.

"M," Ichigo sighed, tensing slightly as Grimmjow's hand continued to peruse his ass. Now he was hungry for something else besides food.

**XXX**

Roughly twenty minutes later, Ichigo was munching on some cereal that had been in the cupboard for God-knew-how-long when Grimmjow walked out of the bedroom, a towel tucked around his waist and one in his hands as he ran it over his blue locks. Ichigo blushed: Grimmjow had said he always took a shower after sex, even if it had only lasted a couple of minutes. Ichigo's neck burned: he could get used to morning sex.

"I could definitely get used to morning sex," Grimmjow grinned, moving in and placing a quick kiss on the berry's temple.

Ichigo spluttered on his mouthful of cereal, certain he had almost choked. Shit, Grimmjow was a mind reader, wasn't he?

Grimmjow couldn't keep the elated smile off of his face as he turned his back to Ichigo to pour himself his own bowl of cereal, trying to compose his face as he looked back at the berry, "So what're'ya doin' today?"

Ichigo shrugged, stirring idly at his cheerios, "I'd still be in school right now. I don't have work today either, so…no plans."

Grimmjow grinned before taking a bite of cereal, "You skipped school for me?"

"Of course I did," Ichigo said, almost defensively, "I can make up the work later. Besides, isn't Aizen going to tear us a new ass hole for creating a scene at Zaraki's last night?"

Grimmjow didn't look worried at all, "Nah, he's all talk. He has a quick temper but he's also quick to forgive. It's all water under the bridge in under twenty four hours."

Ichigo nodded, not very convinced. Technically he still wasn't a member, and Aizen had the final say in his place in the band. Ichigo set his bowl down in the sink, "What if he hates me for what I did?"

"Then I'll kick his ass," Grimmjow replied instantly, his spoon clicking on the side of his bowl as he stirred his milk and cereal around, "all of us will. Aizen might think he holds all the power, but I have him by the balls. The band sees me as their leader: my word is practically law to them. If Aizen tries anything funny, I'll have the whole band on strike at the snap of my fingers."

"You can't DO that, Grimm," Ichigo protested, leaning against the counter near Grimmjow, "you can't upset the band because of me. That's just stupid."

"You don't get it, do you?" Grimmjow murmured, putting his bowl down and staring at Ichigo with those eyes stolen from the sky, "You're not going anywhere, Ichi. The band is important, yeah, but you're more important to me than the band."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the revelation. He tried to compose himself quickly, but the smile crept onto his face anyway. Shit, how sappy was THAT? But…it made him so happy he just wanted to fling his arms around Grimmjow at that moment. Yeah, this was moving really fast, and yeah, Ichigo still had his doubts about his talent and future, but why the hell was he worrying about that for when the man before him was promising to take care of him and professing his love to him?

…Wait, love? He hadn't actually said that, but Ichigo's ears reddened all the same. Shit, a week ago he had been straight (well, at least not wondering so much about being straight) and now he had already given up his virgin ass and was looking forward to more morning sex. And any other kind of sex, for that matter. Shit, if he had had any idea that it could feel that good…

"If you're sure," Ichigo finally replied, his eyes cast somewhere on the tile floor. Grimmjow approached him, putting a hang on the back of his neck as they tapped foreheads.

"Hey," Grimmjow husked, his breath warm and intoxicating, "I'm serious. If I had to choose between the band and you, I would choose you. Every time. Period."

Ichigo sucked in a breath, closing his eyes at the sensitive words. Dammit, when had he become so docile? And so…happy? It was all very strange but pleasant, like he was lost in an alternate reality. He never wanted to wake up from this, even if they were standing in a crappy little kitchen eating stale cereal. Grimmjow's words, his presence, even his smell was locked away into the berry's head for future contemplation, but at the moment it was a little too much to think about.

"You're crazy," Ichigo murmured, looking Grimmjow in the eyes, his hands on Grimmjow's elbows lightly, "you know that, right?"

Grimmjow's grin was in danger of eating his face as he placed a chaste kiss on the berry's lips, "So they say."

**XXX**

Nnoitra rolled over, completely disoriented as to the time or place. Godfuckingshit he had such a headache, and to make matters worse, it was his fucking cell phone that had woken him from his dreamless sleep. One long arm probed the carpet as he was too lazy to get off of the bed, his fingers finally falling on the blaring cell.

"The fuck?" Nnoitra grumbled into the receiver, agitated.

"Mornin' sunshine," Grimmjow snickered, "You planning on showing up ta practice today, or are you gonna stay in bed all day?"

Nnoitra grunted, slamming his head against the pillow, "Fuck, wha time is it?"

"Almost three. Aizen called. Said he wants us all to meet up at the studio for a meeting before practice."

"What the fuck about?" Nnoitra was thoroughly annoyed now, "More bullshit? I swear ta god I'm gonna knock his fuckin' front teeth out if he even breathes a word about last night."

"About last night," Grimmjow's voice held curiosity, "Where the hell did you disappear to? Everybody tried callin' ya…"

"I was busy," Nnoitra sneered, spreading out on the now familiar hotel bed, "Everybody else is gettin' fuckin' laid, 'bout time I did too, don't'cha think?"

Grimmjow laughed, "So who did you sneak off with? A hot piece?"

Nnoitra's laugh came out as almost a giggle. Shit, fuck that, Nnoitra didn't _giggle_, but it certainly had sounded like a deranged kind of giggle, "Ha, hottest little ass I've ever had the pleasure of poundin'. Shit Grimmjow, I think I'm in love."

Grimmjow just laughed harder at that. Nnoitra thought he heard a car door open, "Well get a move on, Casanova. Meeting's in twenty."

"Yeah yeah, fuck off," Nnoitra mumbled, hanging up on his best friend and confidant to roll over in the bed and realize it was empty. He ran a hand through his long black tresses, realizing his bandanna must have come off sometime during the night/early morning's festivities. He looked around the room, realizing he was probably in a love hotel. But where the hell was Snowball? After everything they'd done, Nnoitra was surprised the little bastard could even walk much less leave the room. The little albino bitch should have been comatose for a few weeks, at least.

"Che," Nnoitra said, throwing the sheets aside and standing up in all his naked glory. He had _never_ been the one left in a hotel room before. Sure, he had done it plenty of times to others, but he had never been on the receiving end of abandonment. It kind of made him angry, but what had he expected? It had been a one-night stand, a one-night stand that would leave Nnoitra always wanting more. He hadn't expected his night of 'experimentation' to go so well or feel so damn good. And now the more he thought about it, the more he could picture that snow-white head that had been bobbing up and down on his cock with an expertise that even surprised Nnoitra. And Shirosaki (he had told Nnoitra his preferred name) was not a little, punk-ass uke that gave in easily. Oh no, Nnoitra had had to fight him for that, but once Shirosaki had been done teasing and had become obviously just as hot and bothered as his paying client, he had become a little more manageable, but Jesus that Shirosaki was a freak in bed. Nnoitra could feel the scratches along his arms and his back, remembering he had even bled last night as Shirosaki raked his black-painted fingernails over him as Nnoitra pounded into him with reckless abandon, both of them breathing so hard it had been nearly impossible to catch their breaths. Nnoitra remembered Shirosaki's confident dirty talk, his cocky attitude even in the throws of passion, which had just turned Nnoitra on more.

"Fuck," Nnoitra stared down at his cock, which was now saluting him at full attention. Well, if he jacked off in the shower, he'd save time and kill two birds with one stone.

* * *

Toshiro closed his chemistry textbook and began packing up his notes. The professor had just released them for the day, a few students whooping hallelujahs. The lab classes were always more intimate because of the size of the lab: about twenty-four students who had been forced to sit on stools at lab tables for nearly four hours. Thankfully the class was only once a week, and thankfully Toshiro was actually interested in science. He had already decided the project for his final was going to demonstrate different chemical reactions to dry ice.

He looked at the sleeping student next to him and smirked. He reached out a foot and slammed it against the bottom of the stool, making the tall pale lab partner rear up as if shot, his face glaring murderously at Toshiro, "Wha the fuck was that for?"

"Time to go, baka," Toshiro said, smirking at his school friend, "How could you sleep through half of the lecture?"

The inverted black and gold eyes blinked several times, the black nail polish on his fingers beginning to chip. He rubbed a hand over his sore eyes, "I took Honors Chemistry in high school. S'not so bad."

Toshiro nodded: he was a straight-A student, but the albino never studied, never paid attention in class. He was fucking gifted, even if he didn't acknowledge it. He only had to hear something once and it seemed to stick in his memory for all time. Toshiro didn't know how the kid did it, especially when he seemed to sleep through every class.

Toshiro still remembered the first day of class when he had met the strange punk: Toshiro had been late, and the only available seat left in the lab had been at the table that sported this pale-skinned, white-haired specter. Toshiro didn't blame the other kids avoiding him: his eyes and his leer looked absolutely terrifying, although his body language had not been threatening in the least. Toshiro's eyes had widened slightly at how closely he resembled one of his best friends, but had made his way over to the table to take the empty seat. The stranger had snickered, his laugh a lot like a hyena, "Hey, I like your hair." Toshiro could remember it like it was yesterday, even though the fall semester was quickly ending. The two had started talking due to their preferred hair color, and Toshiro had been a little jealous to find out that his new friend's hair was completely natural due to his genetics.

"Why do you even bother coming? Why don't you just stay home and sleep?"

"Cuz if I miss any more class this semester, I'm on academic probation," the albino grumbled, slinging his backpack over one shoulder as the boys both stood up to walk out of the room. Toshiro hadn't realized that: he had forgotten the college's strict policy about attendance. It didn't matter if you had perfect grades and every teacher was under your thumb, if you didn't maintain a certain percentage of attendance, you were immediately put under academic probation, which made it extremely difficult to take classes the following semester. Toshiro had never missed a class in his life, was too paranoid to, and he was such a stickler for professional work that he didn't _want_ to miss a class.

"Then why don't you get more sleep at night?" Tosh said stupidly, trying to still win the argument, "No offense, dude, but you're paler than usual."

The albino grinned, exposing his ultra-white teeth, "Really? Hadn't noticed."

Toshiro constantly bugged him about what his night job was. He had never gotten an answer better than "I entertain." Toshiro secretly wondered if he worked for a host club: he was certainly good-looking enough, had a cocky attitude that became charming at the drop of a hat.

"Well you still planning on coming tonight?" Tosh asked, punching his friend in the shoulder, "We're still debating over what movie to watch."

"You sure I should come? I've never met yer other friends."

"Dude, it's all good. Byakuya's quiet but he's nice. And you've got to meet Ichigo. He's one of my best friends, and it's just freaky how much you guys look alike."

"Yeah, you've mentioned him a few times," Shiro said, rustling Tosh's hair and enjoying the sound of annoyance the little Icicle made, "I can't promise, but I'm pretty sure. I'll see ya."

"You better show up, Shirosaki!" Toshiro called down the hallway as Shirosaki waved a hand behind him as if to say _yeah yeah I heard ya for the thousandth time._

Toshiro shook his head and veered off to a separate hallway, still wondering why Shirosaki never got any sleep at night.

**PLEASE REVIEW **


	16. Can We Pretend?

**Chapter 16: Can We Pretend?**

_'got you on my lips, got you on my lips_

_At the foot of the stairs, with my fingers in your hair,_

_baby this is it, baby this is it…'_

Tosh smiled before answering his phone, his face possibly permanently stuck in that expression. He had just assigned the embarrassing (but true) ring tone to his boyfriend last night, "H-hi."

"Hi," Ulquiorra replied, "how is your day going? How was class?"

"Good," Tosh said, his heart beat speeding up just from hearing his boyfriend's (oh, oh god, seriously, how could he get used to thinking that?) voice over the phone, "class was a little boring, but I survived. What are you doing?"

"Actually we're about to start practice. Do you want to drop by and check it out?"

"Seriously?" Tosh's eyes glittered as he imagined seeing his boyfriend play again and was instantly hyped up, "Really? They won't mind?"

"Everybody's cool," Ulquiorra said, his voice low and husky, "besides, I wanted to show you something."

"Oh…okay," Tosh said, his face red as his mind immediately went into the gutter, imagining Ulquiorra whipping out a long, thick cock for Tosh to suck. Shit, he had never done that before. What if Ulquiorra laughed at him and his sorry-ass attempt?

"I wanted to show you it last night," Ulquiorra said, making Tosh gulp, "but I was too embarrassed. I'm ready now, though."

"Me too," Tosh replied, his face redder than a tomato, "um, yeah, can't wait."

After getting the details of how to get to their recording studio and room number, Tosh made his way to the subway station, knowing it would take him forever to walk clear across town. The trains were busy at this time of day, considering most people were just getting off of work and making their way home. Toshiro was jostled and swept up in the crowd, packed into the next available train like a sardine stuffed in a can. He squeezed through some ridiculously-tall businessmen and a few women before shoving into a corner to escape the claustrophobia, catching a glimpse of ridiculously-red hair not too far away from him.

"Aw shit," Tosh mumbled, for once wishing his own icy white hair wasn't so noticeable. Well, at least he was short, so maybe he would go unnoticed…

"What's up?" Renji drawled, squeezing past a man with glasses that glared at Renji's unapologetic shoving as he made his way over to his friend.

Renji held onto the railing that was too far overhead for Tosh to reach, making him hate his friend a little more than usual. God, he was so annoyed with Renji, especially since they hadn't talked since the incident at Zaraki's. Yeah, it had been less than twenty-four hours, but still, Toshiro was steaming, "Hey."

"Where you headed?" Renji asked curiously, his tall frame leaning over Tosh, his hair pulled back into his traditional ponytail that had gotten him the nickname Pineapple Head. His grin seemed genuine, but maybe he had an idea that Tosh was steaming-pissed at him.

"To see somebody," Tosh said icily, "Why do you care?"

"Ouch," Renji said, rubbing his chest with a hand as if he had heartburn, "No wonder they call you Ice Man. That was cold, Tosh."

"I try not to associate myself with complete assholes," Tosh replied, his large aqua eyes sending daggers into Renji's coppery ones, "you were completely out of line last night, Renji. You had no right to attack Ichigo like that, especially since YOU'RE the one that fucked everything up. You made Rukia uncomfortable too. Do you EVER think before you act? Honestly, I've never been more embarrassed in my life, especially with my boyfriend there…"

"Whoa, wait. Your boyfriend?" Renji cocked a tattooed eyebrow, "Who the hell is that?"

Toshiro took a deep breath, then breathed out of his nose to stay calm, "Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"The fuckin' bassist?" Renji's eyes went wide, his jaw hanging open, "Since when?"

"Since, since last night! I've been hanging out with them since Ichigo had introduced us. It's not all about hating the competition, Renji. You have GOT to get a grip. What Ichigo did was what he thought was right for his situation, and you attack him for making a decision on his own. He can't TRUST you anymore, Renji, and I'm beginning to wonder if any of us can trust you. You've never freaked out like that before, especially in public."

Renji's grip tightened on the overhead railing, his face stern, "Look, I'm dealin', alright? I know I made an ass of myself, but…"

"Then just accept what happened," Tosh said as the subway train began to slow, jostling a few passengers as they tried to continue standing as the train jolted, "This isn't a competition; Ichigo isn't coming back to the band. He's with Espada, and he's happy. You're pissed that he's got other options."

"Shut up," Renji murmured, no heat in his voice, "That's not true."

"Really?" Tosh said, quirking one of his own eyebrows, "I don't think it's healthy to lie to yourself, Renj. Instead of fighting the change, try to become a part of it. 'Cuz if you don't, you're going to stay frustrated. You might even get left behind."

"Have fun with your boy-toy, Tosh," Renji said as the doors were sliding open and people were beginning to push their way out, "And uh, how 'bout you tell Ichigo I know the REAL REASON he's being a dick. This is my stop." Tosh could see the tense set of his shoulders as he pushed past people, some of them even calling out or making noises of severe aggravation. Tosh just shook his head, unable to deal with the stubborn idiot that was his friend. At least, for now, right?

**XXX**

When Renji got off of the train, he was practically seeing red. God, he would NEVER hit Tosh, but with that little speech a few moments ago, he had nearly raised his hand to his longtime friend. Fuck, what was WRONG with him? Why WAS he being a complete jackass? He cussed under his breath several times as he walked quickly, although really he didn't have a reason. He wasn't going any place in particular; had just had an urge to get out and about and do something so that his brain wouldn't explode. He continued to wander for the better part of an hour, losing himself in thought in a small park.

He was so over this. Fuck, everything was such a mess. And to fuck up his relationship with Ichigo…that's what hurt the most. And to know it was his own fuckin' fault, his own damn fault that had gotten him into the situation. And Jesus, his mind was so fucked up right now…he just had to get away.

Just thinking about Ichigo made his blood boil and his heart quicken: how could he have fucked up a relationship of nearly seventeen years? Renji was one year older than Ichi, had graduated the year before and decided not to attend college. He was much more comfortable working with his old man at the small mechanic shop his family owned, his free time dedicated to music. The band had always been Renji's outlet, his one way of staying sane. And now that precarious balance had been completely upturned because of one drunken night of weakness and stupidity.

Renji kicked at a battered old Coke can that had fallen into his path, still fuming. His friendship with Ichigo had meant more than anything; had been more important than anything. He knew everything about the berry, and the berry knew everything about him.

Well, almost everything. Renji did his best to keep his relationships away from Ichigo, as he knew Ichigo would be uncomfortable knowing how promiscuous Renji was. Renji actually hated himself for it; he just kept going after another body every night, never sated, never happy.

There was only one body he had ever wanted since he was nine years old, and that was Ichigo Kurosaki's. They had grown up together, had lived at each other's houses and were closer than brothers. Of course they had grown up eating together, playing together, and bathing together. Renji had realized his feelings for what they were from the start, while Ichigo remained mercifully oblivious. So oblivious in fact that Renji had been terrified to pursue his feelings for years. He had been content to stay at his side, making sure no punk-ass losers tried to take his berry. But how could Renji protect him from women? Ichigo had never judged Renji for being bisexual, and Renji had always hoped that one day he would have the courage to tell the berry his real feelings towards his best friend. But then Rukia had come along, sweeping Ichigo away in a wave of estrogen and promises of sex. Fuck, how could Renji compete with that?

Renji had quietly and good-naturedly endured the relationship for as long as he could when he started realizing how Ichigo acted around Rukia and vise-versa. It was as if they were back in middle school, as if they were in a relationship in name only. They never held hands, never touched, barely even talked to each other. Of course Renji knew Ichigo had slept with her a few times, but Ichigo never expressed a sexual need for her. As far as Renji knew, Ichigo had gotten more enjoyment jacking himself off than fucking Rukia.

So Renji had finally gotten the balls to do something about it. He had finally gotten some smidgen of hope that Ichigo wasn't as straight-and-narrow as he claimed; that maybe there was a POSSIBILITY of Ichigo accepting Renji's feelings. Maybe it had been unethical, immoral and yes, desperate, but Renji was a creature of impulse, and he HAD been drunk.

But looking back on it, Renji knew what it had been. A means of getting Ichigo's attention, of getting Rukia away from him. But Renji's delusions had backfired big time. The berry hadn't been jealous and crazy with rage because he might have hidden feelings for the red-headed beast; he had been upset and crazy with rage because of the deception, mistrust, and the lies.

"Fuck," Renji moaned, falling onto an abandoned park bench and staring up at the sky. He had royally fucked up the one relationship in his life he had always believed to be real. He only slept around because he had no other outlet, no other means of voicing his unhappiness, his lusts, and his pain. So many times he had thought of forcing himself on the berry, of taking advantage of his friend when he was shit-faced drunk at either of their shitty apartments. Fuck, and so many times he had nearly given in, but at the last moment had retained that sliver of sanity.

Ichigo. He wanted Ichigo, had to have him. And just thinking about that blue-haired bitch with his hands all over the berry…

_"WHAT ARE YOU, HIS FUCKIN' BOYFRIEND?"_

_"MAYBE I FUCKIN' AM."_

Renji clenched his fists, closing his eyes and trying not to think violent thoughts. Was it true? In his gut, Renji thought it was, but his mind was in denial. Renji had always watched for signs of Ichigo admitting his true sexuality, but he had never gotten any real proof, other than that Ichigo had never been interested in heterosexual porn. He had always gotten off on gay porn, which Renji had always kept him in supply of. Honestly, how dense had his berry been? Shouldn't that have been the first CLUE that made him think 'Oh, perhaps I might like dick'?

But Renji had sworn to Ichigo he would never tell anybody. Hell, it had made Renji ecstatic with new hope, but only until Rukia had entered the picture. But hell, that was okay too. Renji was bisexual, so he had kept hoping and praying Ichigo would come around. And then Renji had become too jealous over Rukia. Godfuckingshit, he was such a fuck up.

And it wasn't like Rukia hadn't wanted to. It had been mutual, although Renji hadn't been into it at all. It had been more of an assignment, more of a gateway to an ultimate goal. Rukia had never been important to him, had never been more than a band mate. It had always been thus, and Renji couldn't give a flying fuck if the bitch dropped dead tomorrow.

His mind was now swimming with images of Ichigo, of his perfect skin and blushing face. His chocolate eyes and crooked grin, his laugh…his panting, moaning face as he begged Renji to let him cum, just this once…

"Goddammit," Renji bent over, resting his elbows on his knees, trying to ignore the obvious tent in his pants. Just picturing it…

Renji scrolled his contacts list, landing on the one with a star next to the name. If he couldn't have the berry, he had to have the next best thing.

It rang several times before the speaker picked up, his voice annoyed, "What the fuck ya want now?"

Renji shivered: even their voices were nearly identical, although Ichigo's was not as gruff, "To fuck you."

"Really?" Shirosaki drawled, dropping his voice to a playful seduction, "Now why would you wanna do that, Red?"

"Fuck," Renji groaned, gripping the cell phone tightly before standing up, "Don't tease me, Shirosaki. I'm 3 blocks from your place."

"O-hoo-hoo, well kudos fer you, ne? Clear across town ta see lil' old me: ya fuckin' stalkin' me now, Red?"

"No, I really didn't even think about it until just now," Renji murmured, his voice becoming more heated, "I need you right now, Shiro."

"Well too fuckin' bad. I ain't home right now. Besides, I ain't in any condition ta bottom taday. If ya wanna fuck, yer gonna have ta find somebody else ta be yer bitch taday."

Renji was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to cry. Simply imagining it was Ichigo talking to him like this was making his Little Man stand at full attention, already rock hard, "Fucking shit, what am I supposed to do?"

"I suppose I could get you off over the phone," Shirosaki sighed, his voice suddenly dripping with sex, "you want that, don't'cha Red? Ya wanna be ball's deep in my hot, tight ass, thrusting deeper and deeper until ya can't even see straight…"

"Fucking- motherfucker-goddammit!" Renji yelled, putting a hand over his package as if he were in literal pain (which he was) and rocking forward. And then he remembered himself enough to take a wild look around to make sure nobody had heard him or seen him. A little old lady walking a tiny brown dog stared at him with her mouth open in an O of horror, scurrying away before Renji could be truly embarrassed.

Shirosaki's laughter rang in his ears, "Bye, Red. It's been a real slice."

"Wait!" Renji begged, although it was ignored as the albino hung up on him, still laughing in his sexy, maniacal way.

Renji was still painfully hard and nearly slapped himself as he whimpered. He was a fucking MAN! He would NOT be a little bitch about this!

He scrolled his contacts, hating where his thoughts were leading. He didn't need to be top right now. Fuck it all, he needed to forget, to not think. There was only one person he had ever bottomed for, and the only person that had ever truly fucked him stupid.

It rang once, twice… "Yes?"

Renji bit his bottom lip. Jesus, he had never realized how sexy Byakuya's voice was.

"Where are you?" Renji barked.

"My place," Byakuya replied matter-of-fact. Renji thought he would start shrieking with joy. It was maybe twenty blocks to Byakuya's apartment complex from here. If he ran, he'd be there in no time.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked, sending a shiver down Renji's spine. It was so sensual to Renji's ears, although he was certain Byakuya didn't even realize it.

Renji bit his lip again, screwing his eyes shut as his mind fought his body. He took a deep breath, "Fuck me."

"Excuse me?"

"I need you to fuck me," Renji breathed, opening his eyes, "Right. The Fuck. Now."

Renji was met with silence for several painful heartbeats before Byakuya replied, "Where are you?"

Renji whined, biting his lip to silence it. Fuck, how had that slipped out? Byakuya's voice was so dark, so sexy. Renji didn't think he could stand it another minute.

"Ishida Park," Renji replied, already walking towards the entrance of the park, "I was gonna run, but I can't wait that long. Come get me."

Renji was surprised to be met with a dial tone. He hung up, praying Byakuya drove quickly. Renji, Ichigo, Rukia, and Toshiro had always relied on Byakuya for rides for gigs since none of them had the money for a car, and in Karakura, cars were sometimes not the easiest and most effective use of transportation. But today, it was the means of Renji's salvation.

Not even five minutes later as Renji leaned up against one of the iron gates of the entranceway into the park, the familiar black car pulled up. Renji swallowed, jogging over and getting into the passenger side, suddenly self-conscious.

Byakuya looked absolutely edible, his black hair down around his face, dressed simply in jeans and a black v-neck. One arm rested on the steering wheel as he stared at Renji, and Renji gulped again. What the fuck was wrong with him? It was like being a virgin all over again.

"You were the one who called me," Byakuya reminded him, reaching over and tugging Renji's shirt. Renji's lips crashed against solid yet soft lips, Byakuya wasting no time in delving into the younger man's mouth. Renji was already panting, his chest and groin flooded with heat, "Byakuya…"

"Rukia's there," Byakuya said quietly, his tongue laving over one of Renji's earlobes, "I wanted you in my bed, but we will just have to make the best of the situation."

Renji moaned at the words as Byakuya's tongue continued its black magic, his hand moving to grip Renji's restricted erection. Byakuya swallowed Renji's cry as he gripped the tented jeans, making Byakuya grin.

"In back. Now," he said heatedly, making Renji eager to obey. He almost flew into the more spacious backseat of the car, the leather rubbing against his back as he tried to get comfortable, Byakuya's weight pressing down on him comfortably. Byakuya pulled Renji's shirt off quickly and unbuttoned his jeans, yanking them with a skill that implied Byakuya had been in restricted spaces such as this before. This thought just turned Renji on more, and he was dripping wet with precum.

Renji yanked on Byakuya's shirt as Byakuya basically ignored him, preoccupied with laving each of Renji's pink nipples then moved on to mark his abs, his tongue then delving into Renji's navel.

"Just fuck me!" Renji growled, pulling on Byakuya's hair, "Fuck, just do it!"

Byakuya silenced Renji by grabbing his cock and squeezing harshly, Renji bucking at the sudden sensation. Renji's arms moved out, one slapping against the back window and the other punching the driver's headrest.

"You wanted me to fuck you," Byakuya said, his tongue running along Renji's temple, "not to fuck you quickly."

Renji's whine ricocheted through the car as Byakuya unbuttoned his own jeans to release his own need. Since the space was so restricted, Renji couldn't see Byakuya's cock, but he knew it was thick and long and ready for him. He panted as Byakuya kissed him again, rubbing their erections together as he tried to splay Renji's legs. The restricted space was really starting to get on Renji's nerves, but when he felt the tip of Byakuya's cock at his entrance, his entire body twitched with fire.

"H-nah," Renji moaned, his fingers clawing at Byakuya's arms, "Please, Byakuya. Please fuck me."

Byakuya's lust was undone, and they both moaned together as Byakuya slid in carefully, precum their only lubricant. Renji wiggled his hips, trying to adjust as quickly as possible. It was painful, but he wanted the friction, wanted the sensation more than he cared about the pain of getting there.

"Move," Renji ordered, bracing his knees around Byakuya's rib cage.

Byakuya stroked into him with one hard thrust, making Renji lose his breath. Byakuya gave him a second to recover before moving again, thrusting slower this time but just as deep. Renji was trying to remember how to breathe as Byakuya began to pick up the pace, pushing Renji's knees to gain better access. Renji was nearly bent in half at this point, but Byakuya was brushing his sweet spot, so the discomfort in his upper back was forgotten, "More!"

Byakuya kissed him again, effectively shutting him up. Byakuya vaguely remembered that the park wasn't an extremely popular place at this time of the day, but his car wasn't exactly parked inconspicuously. Anybody within a mile of the car would see its violent rocking and blush, but at that moment, he couldn't give a damn. Suddenly Byakuya had the fantasy to fuck Renji in the park itself, but that would have to wait for another day.

Byakuya groaned as Renji tightened around him, his slick heat clenching him to the brink. God, it was like he was sixteen again, having sex for the first time and peaking before six minutes were up. He wasn't an amateur by any means, but being with Renji made him lose most of his control, if not all of it. His mind was never more shattered than when he was with the red head, and how long had they been friends and Renji had never even thought there might be something between them someday?

"Ah, ah!" Renji cried, putting a fist to his mouth to bite down on so he wouldn't yell so loud. Byakuya pulled the fist away, wanting to hear his lover scream in ecstacy. Byakuya was ecstatic that Renji was a screamer in bed (well, in this case, car) it made Byakuya hot to think he was making Renji feel this way. He thrust harder, concentrating on hitting Renji's prostate every time. Byakuya grabbed Renji's neglected cock, stroking it fiercely as Renji's eyes rolled.

"F-fuck!" Renji mewled, arching his back and cumming all over Byakuya's hand and chest. Byakuya groaned deeply, stroking into Renji again as Renji clenched him again, making him cum into his redheaded lover.

When they were both coherent, Renji whined again, a blind hand grabbing at the cock that was still inside of him. Byakuya moaned as he stared down at the erotic sight: Renji's defined and tattooed stomach slippery with his own cum, his eyes drugged from sex, grabbing at Byakuya's cock as cum dripped out of his ass. Shit, it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

Renji shuddered before speaking, "Again."

Byakuya's kiss answered Renji's insatiable lust.

**XXX**

Ichigo stared at the mountain of paperwork in front of him on the desk, suddenly overwhelmed. The business end of this had never really even crossed his mind until this moment. The realization that he was actually going to be bound legally to Espada hit him like a high-speed train and made him suck in a breath as if he had been punched in the gut.

"These are the legal tie-ups. You'll have to fill out the insurance policies on your own. As for your salary, you'll receive a certain percentage of all shows, concerts, and appearances attended. I've discussed with Grimmjow the possibility of you collaborating to write songs; if you do so, you will receive 10% gratuity in that department, including radio. When these files have been processed, you will be an Espada in legal name and terms, which means you will be bound to us in every way. I suggest you go over this with your family. You're eighteen, legal age, but I believe you should give this some serious consideration before giving up your life here in Karakura," Aizen said systematically, staring at Ichigo from the other side of the large desk, his white suit glaringly bright as Ichigo's mind raced.

"Give up my life?" Ichigo repeated, his mind on warp drive, "What'd'you mean?"

Aizen's eyes made Ichigo uncomfortable as he smirked, "Are you just now beginning to realize the commitment of joining Espada? You will be on tour half the year, traveling from city to city. You will practice for hours a day, several days a week, and perform two to three times a week. Some sessions are an hour, some three. Concerts, gigs, appearances not only at events but on television and radio as well. Photo shoots, advertisements, meet-and-greets, and anything else that may come to mind. Your world will be stages, hotel rooms, and guitars. This is a fulltime job; there's no permanence. You'll have to leave Karakura behind to pursue this dream of yours, Ichigo Kurosaki."

When Aizen said it like that, it made Ichigo unsure. Of course he had been serious about this, but he had only been seeing the fun and the glamour. He had never thought about actually leaving Karakura, of traveling and performing for thousands of screaming fans. Of putting on a face for the public to follow and keep their eyes on at all times, for paparazzi to hunt and try to see the band fall. What about his family? Although he had moved out nearly a year ago, he had never been more than a ten minute drive away from his family. His father's clinic, his twin sisters' lives, everything was here in this town Ichigo had always made fun of. His mother's grave, his school, every friend he had ever made…everything was HERE.

"What about school?" Ichigo finally murmured, looking up at Aizen's professional stare.

"We will be in Karakura for three more weeks. That should give you enough time to request online examinations to finish your high school diploma. If not, you can always drop out and complete your general education requirements online sometime in the near future. Or you can forget joining Espada and go back to your normal high school career. We're here in Karakura for the Kanonji Festival. The day after the festival, we leave for Hueco Mundo. One week for a gig, and then to Tokyo for a promotion settlement. Your tour dates are already set for spring."

It was nearly November. Ichigo had almost forgotten how cold it had been getting lately. So his first tour was barely two months away. And three weeks…he wouldn't even get to spend one last Christmas with his family, "…will I be able to come back?"

Aizen flipped through a black notebook, his eyes scanning, "Perhaps you can fly back for a day in April, possibly May. It solely depends on the touring schedule, and the summer is going to be nothing but recording studios. I released a statement to the public that the next cd will be available in August, so you all will be very, very busy."

Aizen's eyes looked dangerous as he continued, "So I am warning you, Ichigo, if you have based your decisions on the few nights you have had 'partying' with the band, I recommend you reassess the situation. Yes, there is a nightlife available to you, but that life is very sporadic. You will not be out partying and clubbing every night, trust me. And if a situation such as what happened at Zaraki's should ever surface again in the next three years of the contract, I have it in a clause that you will be discharged from the band permanently." Aizen's finger tapped at the stack of files, his eyes never leaving Ichigo's, "That little incident will NEVER happen again, will it, Ichigo?"

Ichigo had known that attacking Renji physically would come back to bite him in the ass, "Yes sir."

"Excellent," Aizen replied, rising from his desk and standing near the berry's seated form. He put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, which made the berry very uncomfortable, "Think hard on it, Ichigo. You're extremely young: this is a big decision, but as they say, no risk, no reward."

He opened the door to the office, holding it open for Ichigo as he stood up with the armfuls of paperwork, "I need that paperwork back sometime in the next three days. I want to have it processed by Friday night. If I don't have it by then, I shall consider that to be your answer."

Ichigo nodded numbly, leaving the office with his arms full of legal bullshit. Damn, that had felt like no time at all and forever all at once. He made his way down the hallway, pulling open the door to the recording studio they had been assigned for that day. Szayel waved to him from the booth, his face in a smirk as he noticed the berry's plight, "Oh, poor baby. So much paper work, hm?"

Ichigo just nodded before dropping it all on a couch and walking numbly into the studio, the other band mates looking up from their instruments or ceasing their talking. Grimmjow had been sitting on a large speaker, his elbows on his knees as he looked Ichigo up and down, "How'd it go?"

"Fine," Ichigo said robotically, his eyes desperate for his Zangetsu, "Just a lot of paperwork."

"Did he yell at you?" Stark asked, his own Zanpakuto resting on his knees, "He chewed us out earlier before you got here."

"No, he just warned me," Ichigo defended, grabbing Zangetsu and putting the strap over his shoulder. He needed to calm down, to take his mind off of the decision. His fingers were shaking slightly as he ran the pads of his fingers over the strings, the feeling comforting, "So what're we sitting around for? Let's practice."

"Bout time," Nnoitra grumbled, striking up a beat on the drums before looking out the observation window of the sound room, "Hey, the little munchkin's here."

Ichigo smiled through the window at Toshiro, who was waving back almost shyly, his eyes on nobody but Ulquiorra. Ichigo heard Grimmjow and Stark snicker, and Halibel rolled her eyes.

But Ichigo stopped smiling when he remembered his decision. He'd be leaving Karakura because Espada would be leaving Karakura. Toshiro didn't have the option of following Espada, not really. What was Toshiro going to do about this new relationship? And Ulquiorra…did he really expect to take this relationship somewhere? It was all too much to think about.

And then Grimmjow. Ichigo's face was red as he tried to think about that. He wanted to be in this band more than anything, but was the band really the reason? If he was a member of Espada, he would be with Grimmjow nearly 24/7, wouldn't he? Wasn't that the reason, so that they could stay close? Or was it the music, or both?

Ichigo's head was swimming. He couldn't process it all right now, so he was slightly relieved when Stark announced they'd be working on one of the newer releases. The melody began, and Ichigo tried to calm himself by following Stark's lead. After a little warm-up, he finally put Zangetsu down and picked up a mic that was offered to him by Grimmjow, his eyes seeming all-knowing, "You alright, Ichi?"

Ichigo just nodded, not wanting Grimmjow to pick up on his confusion, "I'm cool."

Grimmjow didn't buy it for a minute. Not one minute.

**XXX**

Later that night after practice, Toshiro was trying to talk Ulquiorra into coming over to Byakuya's house for the pizza and movie night. Of course Ulquiorra wanted to go: any time with Toshiro seemed to be on his priority list. And of course that meant Grimmjow wanted to go, which Ichigo had no problem with, considering he wanted Grimmjow at his side as he tried to figure out exactly what it was he wanted to do. Ichigo didn't know when it had happened, but having Grimmjow out of his site for even a moment seemed to make the berry tense. Just his presence seemed to make the berry feel better, soothe him.

"Why can't I go?" Nnoitra complained, blowing smoke in Toshiro's face, "This some secret club meetin' or somethin'?"

Halibel and Stark had declined, neither of them feeling the energy to go out with the newly-formed group to some stranger's house, but Nnoitra wasn't one to stay behind, no matter how lame the proposition sounded to him.

"Because I know you," Ulquiorra said, giving Nnoitra a deadly look as if to say 'blow smoke in my boyfriend's face again and I'll rip your balls off', "and you'll whine the entire time that you're not having any fun."

"I swear ta be good," Nnoitra offered everyone his famous grin, "Cross my heart an' hope ta die."

"Fine," Ichigo stated, making everybody look at him. Ichigo wasn't even close to the one-eyed rockstar, but he didn't see a reason why not. No one deserved to be bored, and everybody was really not in the mood to go out to drink and party, "but behave, alright? Byakuya's place is pretty small. If ya don't like it, just leave."

**XXX**

About a half hour later Toshiro, Ulquiorra, and Nnoitra were followed by Ichigo and Grimmjow as they knocked on Byakuya's apartment door, hands in pockets as they waited. The door was finally opened, and Ichigo was a little disheartened to see Rukia standing there, her black hair framed around her face, her eyes large as she took in the scene.

"Hey," Tosh said, smiling at her, "Brought a few extras for movie night."

"I see that," Rukia said, her eyes traveling over the faces quickly and landing on Ichigo, "Like old times."

"Yeah," Ichigo mumbled, not breaking eye contact. He needed to talk to her again, but maybe she had figured out that Ichigo had only pounced Renji after talking shit about her.

"Renji coming?" Toshiro asked, worry still on his face.

"No, said he was busy," Rukia said, opening the door widely, "and it's weird. Byakuya took off a while ago and just called, saying for everybody to enjoy themselves and have a good time. He won't be back until late."

"Where's he at?" Tosh asked as they filed into the apartment and headed down the hallway to the rather large living room with the big screen.

"Said he had forgotten about a study session for his finals," Rukia said, shrugging as she led the way. Everybody settled down in the living room as Rukia fluttered around, getting sodas and waters for everybody. Ichigo knew she was shrieking like a fangirl in her head; she was a huge fan of Espada. She could play it cool all she wanted, but Ichigo knew that she was trying very hard not to seem phased that Nnoitra Jiruga, Ulquiorra Schiffer, and Grimmjow Jeagerjauques were sitting in her brother's living room. It kind of made Ichigo squirm thinking that Rukia had had a major fixation on Grimmjow, plastering his face all over her bedroom at her parent's house, even when they had been dating. Hah, how ironic how Ichigo was now dating that fixation. It was almost like feeling the taste of revenge.

After some chatter and bickering over what movie to watch, the doorbell rang, making Rukia play butler again.

"Yeah, he's here," everyone heard Rukia say, "Nice to meet you, too."

"He came," Toshiro said, getting up from his place beside Ulquiorra, "Didn't know if he'd actually show up. You guys be nice, alright? People tend to…judge him quickly. He's a friend of mine from school."

Everybody nodded or gave him a look like they'd try their best, and everybody waited for this stranger to make an appearance in the entrance of the hallway.

"This is Shirosaki," Rukia said, followed by said-stranger.

"Glad you could make it," Tosh said, punching his friend in the arm.

"Couldn't let'cha down now, could I?" he said, his inverted black and gold eyes roaming the room, his pale complexion and spiked white hair something you definitely didn't see everyday. His skinny white jeans were torn at the knees and a black wife-beater hugged his toned frame. Ichigo stared at the black hell butterfly tattooed on the albino's left hand from his wrist to the beginning of his knuckles.

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he stared at it, remembering seeing it somewhere…

"Holy _shit_!" Nnoitra and Ichigo said at the exact same moment, making Shirosaki look from Ichigo to stare at Nnoitra who had been hiding in the corner, his lanky frame having been out of Shirosaki's line of vision. Shirosaki's face turned from cocky to surprised in a second, then to something that looked like anger.

"No _fucking way_!"

**PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Also, I just started another project called 'Blood and Berries'. It's about vampires! Please check it out if you're interested. The first chapter is up. Thank you and I love you all ~ Nikkus**


	17. Closer

**This chapter goes to my two lovelies:**

**Bengal baby, enjoy the GrimmIchi. I stole your catchphrase ;3 fufufufu~**

**Overduse, the UlquiTosh is allllll yours. Consider it your private smut~I love you both!**

**Please enjoy…**

Chapter Seventeen: Closer

"Well this is fucktastic," Shiro said sarcastically, his arms crossed over his chest defiantly, "Wha the fuck are you doin' here?"

"Heyya Snowball," Nnoitra shot back, his grin maddening, "Didn' think ya'd ever see me again, ne?"

"That's an understatement."

"Wait, how do you…?" Toshiro was looking between Nnoitra and Shiro, looking completely lost.

"Don't worry 'bout that," Shiro said, sending a scathing look to Nnoitra, "Just know this bastard from a club."

"What club?" Toshiro said stupidly, imagining a host club, "When'd you see Nnoi?"

"TERROR," Nnoitra said, running his tongue along his upper lip, "Quite a talented little Snowball, ain't he?"

"Shut the fuck up," Shiro demanded, his eyes traveling to the vibrant orange hair in the room. His eyes locked on the face that was so similar to his own, buttery brown eyes staring back at him with what was some mix of confusion and awe. Shiro forgot his anger at the idiot Nnoitra and focused in on the berry, making his face nearly split in two, "Heyya, Strawberry."

"Holy shit," Ichigo said, unable to utter anything else as he looked back at someone who was a ghostly version of himself. They had slight differences; Shiro looked taller, his shoulders a bit wider, his nose a bit more straight. It was kind of creepy staring at someone who looked so similar to himself, but he didn't know how he knew him. The tattoo was all he could look at as he tried to jog his memory.

"What the FUCK is going on here?" Grimmjow snarled, standing up off of the couch, his body in a defensive position, "And who the hell are you?"

"Ogihci, Shirosaki. Friends call me Shiro," Shiro said, grinning maddeningly at Grimmjow, "And I think the berry here is having trouble placing how he knows me."

"I've seen that tattoo before…" Ichigo said, running a hand through his hair, "But I don't think I've ever met you."

"It was a few years ago," Shirosaki said, shrugging his shoulders as he leaned against the wall, "and you were drunk as fuck; no wonder ya don't remember me."

Grimmjow tried to control the growl that kept threatening to come out: this asshole had taken advantage of HIS BERRY when he was young, reckless, and drunk? Oh HELL NO!

"Oh shit!" Ichigo's eyes lit up in recognition as he laughed, "You're the dude who held my head out of the toilet!"

Grimmjow whipped his neck around at Ichigo's enlightenment, further confusion marring his face and contorting his eyebrows.

"The one and the only," Shiro smirked, sending goose bumps racing down Ichigo's spine, "Still don't know how you ended up at that house party. You couldn'ta been more than fourteen. Ya started chuckin', but damn you were so cute I couldn't help myself. Had 'ta make sure ya got to a toilet, at least."

"What a fucking small world," Nnoitra threw in, rolling his eye, "and a fuckin' touchin' reunion."

"Shut up!" Ichigo said, hurling his empty soda can at Nnoitra. He was thoroughly embarrassed right now, considering the circumstances. Why was booze always getting him into trouble?

"It's all bullshit under the bridge," Shiro said, shrugging again, "Everybody went through the same shit. Just surprised ta run inta'ya again."

"Yah, same here," Ichigo said, his face burning in shame as he was transported back to that night. He had just turned fifteen and that had been the first time he had ever been so plastered. He remembered it now, how those ghost hands held his head as he barfed his brains out into the toilet. All Ichigo remembered before blacking out was someone chuckling and seeing the image of the black hell butterfly on that powder-white skin, and that voice saying 'Get some sleep, Strawberry.'

"We didn't look so much alike back then, but I can see it now, Tosh," Shiro said, staring at Ichigo's hair, "And there's no way I'm mistakin' that head of hair. It's as rare as mine is."

Ichigo was still blushing furiously as Grimmjow sent dagger eyes to the albino.

"All we need now is for Renji and Byakuya to pop in," Rukia murmured, shaking her head, "Everybody seems to know everybody these days."

"Renji? Abarai, Renji?" Shiro laughed, slapping his forehead, "Jesus Christ, this is just too rich!"

"He's in our band," Tosh said, fighting laughter, "He's lead singer for Soul Society."

"Damn," Shiro said, looking at Tosh and then around the room, "I know you'd mentioned playin' drums, but this is just too fuckin' freaky."

"And Ichigo is – I mean, was our lead guitarist," Tosh said, hoping he was being helpful.

Shiro's eyes flashed over to Ichigo again and a smile split his face as he offered the berry his hand. Ichigo took it, shaking it even though he was still trying to forget about the unusual circumstances in which they had met, "So you're the reason I got inta this mess?"

"What'd you mean?" Ichigo said, finally releasing Shiro's hand, thoroughly confused.

Shiro shrugged, "Looks like I got called in ta be your replacement. Renji offered it ta me yesterday. Said his band needed a guitarist."

"No way," Tosh said, his eyes going wide, "I didn't even KNOW you played guitar."

"Really?" Rukia had some amount of hope in her voice, "Well that was certainly fast. That little bastard hasn't said a word to US about it."

"Oh," Ichigo said, suddenly feeling deflated. His stomach felt a little hollow, and he swallowed around a lump in his throat. Why the hell was he even giving a shit about it? The guy seemed nice enough…maybe it was the fact that they were practically twins that was making Ichigo uncomfortable. The band was replacing him with somebody that was a ghost of himself…had Renji done it on purpose?

"That's great," Ichigo finally finished, his voice falling a little. Grimmjow looked at him, but Ichigo kept his face composed.

"We'll see how it works out," Shiro said, as if reassuring Ichigo, "nothin's ever set in stone. Shit changes. Anyways, where's the fuckin' pizza?"

**XXX**

The rest of the night was fairly entertaining, considering Shiro stayed as far away from Nnoitra as possible until Nnoitra finally got fed up with it and threatened to leave. He didn't though, so Grimmjow was starting to grind the gears together to figure that situation out. Grimmjow was extremely curious, but he'd ask his friend later what the deal was. Right now, he was trying to focus on his boyfriend not falling to pieces in front of this little crowd.

He knew Ichigo was doing his best to put on an act, but the kid looked almost miserable, even when he plastered on a smile. Tosh was oblivious, chattering away at Ulquiorra's side, Ulquiorra looking more peaceful than Grimm had ever seen him. The kid was doing wonders for Schif, and Grimm wondered how they'd keep the relationship going when they left Karakura.

That just made Grimmjow worry more about Ichigo. Ichigo was overwhelmed right now; the last thing he needed was to continue sitting in a room full of friends and barely friends putting on an act that Grimmjow sure as hell wasn't buying.

Grimmjow barely paid attention to the movie, some action flick that had explosions about every five minutes. The main star had just finished annihilating some army base (single-handedly, of course) his muscles rippling in the firelight as he grabbed the woman of his dreams and pulled her into his arms, where of course, she swooned and they had a passionate kiss. Grimmjow wanted to throw up.

Real life didn't operate like that. Yeah, most of the time you had to fight your battles alone, struggle through it, and hopefully at the end you came up on top, but this movie made it look all glamorous. Like it was easy. Like it was a piece of cake.

Grimmjow had always had to work extremely hard to get where he wanted to go in life; after all, he had the scars and the brand mark on his body to prove it. It was one reason he had always refused to do ads that exposed too much skin: his back and lower abdomen was riddled with scars. It was one reason Grimmjow was thankful it had been so dark in Ichigo's apartment the night before, so that the berry wouldn't freak when he saw what he truly looked like. Of course there had been that time, when they had first met that the berry had had a glimpse after that awkward confrontation of waking up with a hangover, but the berry hadn't seemed focused enough to take in the extent of the damage. Grimmjow was proud of his body, but that didn't mean he wanted to go flaunting it to the world.

He was pulled out of his reverie when he felt a warm hand on top of his in the darkened living room. Everybody was still focused on the screen as the camera was panning out, showing the hero and the heroine making their way out to sea in a speed boat, most likely to start a new, happy life together. Pfft, how predictable.

But Ichi's hand was on his, so he turned his head slightly to look at the berry. Ichigo wasn't looking at him; just staring at the tv screen, his grip becoming tighter on Grimmjow's hand. Grimmjow squeezed back, as if to say 'I'm here', but Ichigo still wouldn't look at him.

As the credits rolled, Rukia flipped the light switch back on, making Ichigo jerk his hand away.

Everybody grumbled or offered their two cents about the movie. Toshiro was conked out on Ulquiorra's shoulder, breathing lightly. Ulquiorra's head rested against Tosh's ice head, his eyes open and alert. Grimmjow wanted to snort at the silly scene, but it was just too damn cute to make fun of.

"Che, fuckin' faggots," Nnoitra said, standing up and stretching his long frame that had been sprawled out on the floor.

Shiro smirked at Nnoitra, walking past him with a devilish gleam in his eyes, "Yer just fuckin' jealous nobody'll cuddle with 'ya."

"Ya didn't give me a chance last night," Nnoitra threatened sexily, offering Shiro a grin.

"Not the cuddlin' type," Shiro said, teasing him with a finger on his chest before raising that finger and flicking him hard on the nose, "nighty night, Nnoity-kins."

Shiro walked away from him, yelling goodbye to everybody in the room who hadn't been close enough to hear that little exchange of words. Nnoitra stared at him, his face turning red from embarrassment or rage, or maybe a little bit of both.

"Fuckin' asshole!" Nnoitra called after him, pissed as hell. Shit, what a fuckin' hot little tease.

**XXX**

Tosh smiled in his sleep, not ready to wake up yet. This dream felt too good to wake up from. Warm, long fingers teased his skin down his chest, resting near his hips as addicting lips sought his own icy ones. Toshiro was always cold: his dad always joked that he had been born in the snow to explain why he always seemed to run at a cooler temperature than everybody else. Even in the summer it was common to find Tosh wearing at least a hoodie. He never seemed warm enough, ever.

But he was getting very warm now. He could feel the heat in his cheeks, his chest, and the blood beginning to pool in his stomach and his groin from all of the teasing affection his dream Ulquiorra was giving him.

"Hm…" Tosh murmured, sighing into his dream boyfriend's mouth, "I love you so much."

"Toshiro," his sexy, dreamy-dream boyfriend replied, his voice low, "Open your eyes."

Well that didn't make sense. If he woke up, he'd be back at Byakuya's apartment, just leaning against Ulquiorra. But here, in his head, they could get away with a lot more.

"N…noooo," Tosh slurred, turning his head to the side as his fingers bunched on what felt like Ulquiorra's forearms.

"Please?"

A shudder rippled through Toshiro at the tone of Dream Ulquiorra, making him suck in a breath as he realized he was getting hard. Shit, this was the most realistic dream yet, "…why?"

"I want you to look at me," Dream Ulquiorra said, placing a kiss over each of Tosh's closed eyelids, "I want you to look at me when I tell you I love you."

[ **Recommend listening to "A Little More" by Skillet**. It inspired this scene…]

Tosh's eyes flew open, immediately drowning in deep jade green. Oh, wow. This was the best dream Toshiro had ever had in his 22 years of life. "God," he murmured, his hands now on either side of his boyfriend's face, "do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

Dream Ulquiorra's lips tilted into an extremely rare smile as he stared down at Toshiro with affection, "Are you still asleep?"

"You just told me you loved me," Tosh said, looking at Ulquiorra almost skeptically, "Of COURSE I'm dreaming."

"But I do love you," Ulquiorra said, sliding Tosh's hand over his chest to rest over Ulquiorra's heart, "see?"

Tosh tried to focus on the beating of the heart rather than the firm chest beneath his fingers. He took another breath, trying to rationalize his Dream Ulquiorra's behavior. He had never been so talkative. Usually he was quiet as he carried out his…well, whatever he had planned for that night. Toshiro was still rather confused, so he stayed silent as he stared into Dream Ulquiorra's eyes again, "But it's so…fast."

Dream Ulquiorra bent down and placed a chaste kiss on Tosh's mouth, "isn't that why they call it FALLING in love?"

Tosh smiled, his chest tight. He felt like his heart might burst out of his chest and splatter all over Ulquiorra. Okay so maybe that sounded gross, but it was the only way to describe the sensation, "I guess so."

Ulquiorra kissed him again, his finger reaching out and pinching Toshiro extremely hard on an exposed nipple. Toshiro hadn't even realized he was shirtless, but the pain registered before his brain could process how that had come to be, "OW! What was that for?"

Ulquiorra smirked, licking Tosh's earlobe before whispering, "Isn't that the test to see if you're awake?"

Tosh's blush was instantaneous as he squealed (in quite an unmanly way) as Ulquiorra's mouth descended over Tosh's collarbone, working its way down his pale, smooth stomach. He had never been ripped like Renji or Byakuya, not even toned and muscular like Ichigo. He had never been a fan of his body, thinking he was too small, too plain. He wasn't fat by any means, but he didn't have a lot of muscle to offer either, which was usually the popular vote.

But right now, he felt comfortable, happy even, as Ulquiorra paid homage to his body. It made his heart swell for the quiet raven-headed boy even more, "Um, Ulquiorra."

"Hm?" he murmured, his eyes flicking up to look at Tosh as his tongue continued to run along one of his exposed hipbones.

"Hah," Tosh breathed, trying to focus, "where are we?"

"You fell asleep during the movie. I took you back to my room," Ulquiorra said, his fingers ghosting on Tosh's waistband. Tosh bit his bottom lip, trying not to squirm, "I lied to the others when I said I'd take you back to your dorm. I'm sorry. I wanted you to myself."

"F-for what?" Tosh said, knowing perfectly well what WHAT was.

"I was just going to sleep next to you; you look so defenseless when you sleep," Ulquiorra said, unbuttoning Tosh's jeans with quick, steady fingers, "but I couldn't sleep. You're far too appealing for your own good."

"N-nah," Tosh put a fist to his mouth and bit down to contain his whines. Dammit, he loved how Ulquiorra touched him, but he didn't know if he could do this, "U-Ulquiorra…"

"Do you want me to stop?" he murmured, a hand on Tosh's chest as he waited.

Tosh shook his head from side to side behind his hands, too embarrassed to say anything.

"I want to make the person I love feel good," Ulquiorra said, placing feather-light kisses on Toshiro's chest as one of his hands snaked past the barrier of Toshiro's briefs.

Toshiro lost his breath as Ulquiorra's large hand grabbed his cock, squeezing it lightly, "Hn, hnn, na…"

Ulquiorra licked at one of Toshiro's nipples as his other hand pushed at Tosh's tight pants, sliding them down to expose his cock fully, "You're adorable, Tosh."

"Ulquiorra," Tosh squirmed, "I wanna…make you feel good too."

"I do feel good," Ulquiorra promised, kissing Tosh on the mouth before descending back to his original plan. One hand massaged Tosh's balls as his tongue licked the shaft, making Tosh buck.

"A-ah!" Tosh cried, his fingers curling in the sheets.

Ulquiorra fisted the base as his mouth settled comfortably over the small cock, taking all of Tosh in one motion.

"G-gah!" Tosh's breathing had become ragged, his fingers now twirled in Ulquiorra's black locks, "God, oh God…"

The tugging on Ulquiorra's hair spurred him on, making him move quickly, wanting Tosh's release more than he wanted his own. His own need was pressing tight in his jeans, but that would have to wait. He knew with how shy Toshiro was that he was a virgin; the last thing he wanted to do was scare the older boy away. With a few more bobs of his head and a moan to tighten his throat, Toshiro screamed. Ulquiorra, unfazed, swallowed most of it before releasing Toshiro with a small pop, licking at Tosh's balls for good measure.

When his hungry tongue decided it wasn't quite done yet and Ulquiorra's hands lifted Tosh's hips and that sinful tongue licked Tosh's virgin entrance, Ulquiorra nearly came in his pants at the cry Toshiro let out. God, could he really stop? He had had every intention of stopping after showing Toshiro pleasure, had counted on his unbelievable self -control.

Ulquiorra stopped, pulling back, even as his eyes continued to stare at the dribble of cum that had made its way to the tight, pink hole. Toshiro's hands were grabbing for him, his ice blue eyes clouded in lust, "Ul-Ulquiorra, don'…don't stop."

Ulquiorra looked at him in disbelief, holding his weight up with his arms as he stared down at his life, hoping he hadn't passed out and was dreaming this part. That was all he needed: for this scenario to be another wet dream, and Ulquiorra had had plenty of those since meeting the white-haired cutie.

"Please," Tosh breathed, his arms wrapping around Ulquiorra's neck, his hips lifting in instinctual invitation. Ulquiorra groaned as his covered erection met the heated skin, his mind battling as to what to do.

"I love you," Tosh murmured, kissing Ulquiorra on the mouth. It was such an innocent kiss, so sweet and caring that Ulquiorra knew his heart had just shuddered in his chest.

"Tell me to stop," Ulquiorra demanded, trying to find his voice, "before I lose my mind."

Tosh's breathing had returned to somewhat normal as he wrapped his legs around Ulquiorra's hips, forcing Ulquiorra to acknowledge his need. Ulquiorra groaned as Tosh nipped at his ear, the whisper seductive, "Then please…lose your mind."

**XXX**

Ichigo had said he didn't want to go home yet, so Grimmjow drove around the city for a while, hoping it calmed the berry as much as it calmed him. They took a walk through a quiet park. At this time of the night, there was barely anyone around, and still Ichigo had maybe said a handful of words to Grimmjow.

Grimmjow finally drove the berry back to the apartment, knowing he had school in the morning and wanting to make sure he got home safe.

"Will you come up with me?" Ichigo asked, his voice barely loud enough for Grimmjow to catch it.

"Yeah," Grimmjow replied, freaking out inside over Ichigo's behavior. He hadn't known the berry long, but long enough to know he had never acted like this before. It was as if he were numbing himself to keep the real shit from boiling over, and Grimmjow was almost terrified to leave him alone.

When they got to the apartment, Ichigo declared he was going to take a shower. Grimmjow waited on the couch, his head in his hands, hands on his knees. He listened to the water running in the shower for a good fifteen minutes before he started to worry. He got up and made his way to the berry's bedroom, the room dark but for the sliver of light coming from the nearly closed bathroom door.

Grimmjow cracked the bathroom door open wider, the small bathroom filled with fog from the hot water of the shower. The curtain wasn't pulled around like it was supposed to be, exposing the curled up naked body inside. Grimmjow breathed out slowly as he stared at Ichigo who was currently sitting on the floor of the shower, his knees pulled to his chest, his wet head resting on his knees, his face hidden as he continued to be deluged by the water.

[**Please listen to "Broken Wings" by Flyleaf. It inspired this moment.**]

Aw shit. Grimmjow fought the lump in his throat, not able to stand it. Ichigo was hurting, and he didn't know what to do.

As he approached the shower, Ichigo looked up slowly, his eyes looking lost. Fuck, Grimmjow didn't want to see that, but he couldn't stand leaving the berry alone, either.

"Fuck," Grimmjow breathed, not caring he was fully clothed as he stepped into the shower and got on his knees, hugging Ichigo as the hot water began to soak him. Ichigo stiffened in his arms for a moment before he started shaking, and it took Grimmjow a minute to understand Ichigo was now sobbing. Grimmjow ran one of his hands through wet orange hair, rocking him gently as Ichigo's arms wrapped around his neck tightly, as if threatening to hurt him.

Grimmjow didn't care if he bled, he'd do anything to make Ichigo okay again. At that moment, all he wanted was to split that idiot Renji's head like a watermelon, then skewer Aizen on a stick and roast him over an open flame. Ichigo had been barraged with too much information today, too much for his adolescent mind to process.

And this was all he could do: hold Ichigo until he was too exhausted to move or think. Grimmjow was completely soaked at this point, but he would sit there like a statue all night if it was necessary.

He'd do anything for the berry. Absolutely anything. He was so sure of it that it scared the shit out of him. It was the most raw and powerful emotion Grimmjow had ever had, and it nearly choked him, "I love you."

Ichigo stiffened again, his fingers digging into the hair at the nape of Grimmjow's neck as he pulled his head back to stare at Grimmjow, his face unreadable.

Grimmjow leaned forward and placed a kiss on Ichigo's forehead, then let their foreheads rest against each other as each stared into the other's eyes, waiting. Waiting for what, exactly, neither knew. Grimmjow hadn't known he would confess so soon, but he didn't want to take it back. It was true: it was the most honest, sincere, and simple thing Grimmjow knew about himself. He loved this boy, would do anything for this boy, wanted nothing but this boy…the berry had become everything, the center of his universe in less time then he would have ever thought possible.

Ichigo leaned into Grimmjow, kissing him softly and so tenderly Grimmjow felt goose bumps run down his spine. The water was barely warm now, but neither paid attention as they got lost in the kiss, Grimmjow now bracing his arms on either side of the berry on the tiled wall. Ichigo's arms wrapped around Grimmjow's neck possessively, his legs beginning to snake around Grimmjow's hips. Grimmjow moaned, pressing his growing erection into his naked berry, wishing it was possible to kiss away all of Ichigo's worries.

"Stay with me," Ichigo murmured, arching his back and making Grimmjow bury a growl, "Show me how much you love me, Grimmjow."

FUCK.

Grimmjow braced the berry's hips as he stood up, making Ichigo suck in a breath in surprise as he managed to get up so easily while holding Ichigo's weight. Ichigo tightened his legs and his arms around Grimmjow, unwilling to let go. He wanted to be with Grimmjow right now, needed him like an addict needed a fix. He was already shaking with anticipation of the pleasure to come.

Grimmjow climbed out of the shower, Grimmjow's hands now supporting Ichigo's weight by gripping Ichigo's ass as he made his way into the bedroom, practically throwing Ichigo onto the bed. Neither cared they were soaking wet as Grimmjow yanked his shirt off before attacking the berry, his tongue delving into the younger man's mouth to explore. Ichigo ran his hands over Grimmjow's abs, making sure his fingers memorized all the plains and sharp edges, even committing the slight scars to memory. Grimmjow prepared him quickly, Ichigo's mewling growing in volume until neither could stand it any longer and Grimmjow unbuttoned his jeans, releasing his weeping cock. He thrust into Ichigo quickly, making Ichigo cry out.

"I love you," Grimmjow husked, placing nipping kisses on Ichigo's neck and jaw line, "I love you. I love you…"

Each thrust brought Ichigo more and more pleasure, tears threatening to slide down his face at the words and the movement. His body was singing, the blood in his veins drunk from ecstasy. He couldn't stop crying out Grimmjow's name, his mind a muddled pool of sludge.

He was so hurt. So incredibly hurt by how things had turned out with Renji, with Rukia; how he had been replaced so quickly, so easily, as if Ichigo had never existed. How he had to choose between his life and his dream; to pick unbearable schedules of exhaustion that would reward him with loving words and caresses from Grimmjow…

Oh God, but he couldn't think about it anymore. Grimmjow was doing such a beautiful job of distracting him. The murmured words of affection made Ichigo stronger, made him want to show Grimmjow how much he believed in those words as he began to move his hips rhythmically, which earned him a lust-filled moan from the sweaty, wet blue-haired man above him.

"I…" Ichigo began, trying to regain his breath that had been stolen, "I love you, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow attacked his mouth, his thrusts becoming unbearable, pleasurable torture. Ichigo screamed as Grimmjow continued to grind into his prostate, his hand milking Ichigo's cock, his thumbnail pressing down into the slit dripping with precum.

"G-Grimmjow!" Ichigo cried, his stomach muscles tightening as he came hard, white lights dancing in his vision as he rode out his orgasm.

Grimmjow murmured Ichigo's name before coming suddenly after Ichigo's tight walls closed around him sporadically. Grimmjow collapsed on top of him, still inside of him but neither caring as their bones turned to butter and their blood burned like acid.

After a few minutes, Grimmjow gently pulled his cock free as Ichigo's legs loosened their death grip on Grimmjow's hips. He fell to the berry's side, gathering him up quickly in his arms, Ichigo's back to his chest as they listened to each other's heartbeats.

They laid in perfect silence until the air conditioner kicked on, now the only sound in the room. Ichigo turned over, now facing Grimmjow as they stared at each other in a now wet, cold bed. So many other things needed to be said, discussed, dissected, but right now just wasn't the time. Neither boy was ready for that.

**I'm exhausted. Please review.**


	18. Keep My Feet on the Ground

**I spent a lot of time writing this chapter. I don't know why it took so long, but here it is. Sorry for the wait and please let me know what you think. You are all wonderful and I love every last one of you. ~TPP**

Chapter 18: Keep My Feet On the Ground

[Recommended listening: "3 Cheers for 5 Years" by Mayday Parade]

Grimmjow shifted on the futon, the damp sensation of the sheets making goose pimples form on his skin. The coolness of the room hit him and made him open his eyes slowly, recalling to him the happenings of the previous night. God, it was all such a mess. Seeing Ichi like that had nearly torn his heart out, and his aggressive approach at fixing the problem had seemed fine and well at the time, but he realized in the next moment that he was lying in a cold, damp bed alone.

"Ichi?" Grimmjow called, his voice raspy from sleep. He waited. No reply.

He shifted over, sitting up slowly, unashamed of his nakedness as he crawled out of the futon and pulled on his discarded boxers, ignoring the fact that they were not only cold but still nearly soaking wet.

"Ichigo?" Grimmjow called again, this time a little more loudly. He left the bedroom, walked through the kitchen, and checked the living room. He picked up his blue cell phone, which had been abandoned the night before, thankful he hadn't had it in his jean's pocket when he had gotten in the shower with Ichigo. He scrolled through the missed calls and several text messages, ignoring Nnoitra's, Stark's, and even one from Aizen. Nobody important at the moment.

He checked the time on the face of the phone, his brows drawn together in confusion. It was only ten a.m.

He ran his fingers absently through his hair several times, as if rearranging the locks would somehow rearrange the thoughts running through his mind. Goddammit, this was frightening. Grimmjow felt a hollowness settle in his stomach, then a sensation similar to burning, as if some force were eating away at his abdomen, leaving a dense, black, hole.

He scratched at the area absently, his fingers tracing the nearly perfect circular scar there. The lines were so light that no one would be able to tell it was there unless they touched it or it caught the light a certain way, but Grimmjow remembered it. He remembered the hot blade sliding along the skin, a torture at the time but a blessing in disguise. A cold blade would have left much more noticeable scar lines.

But his chest hurt in a way it had never hurt before. It was nearly agonizing, like when he had been branded. It stung, like tiny hornets were stinging into his flesh, driving him slowly insane. It was almost crushing, like when he had nearly lost it finding Nnoitra five years ago, covered in blood and shrieking in absolute agony as he held a hand over the left side of his face, blood everywhere…

That had been the only time in Grimmjow's entire life he could remember crying. Of course he had cried as a child: he could remember almost every hit of his abusive drunk for a mother, almost every slap and sting. He had learned to stop crying by the age of six and had vowed to never cry again. He hadn't cried when he had been jumped into the gang; he hadn't even cried when he had been jumped out of it. But he had cried that day five years ago, the day that Nnoitra had lost not only his eye but what was left of his life.

And right now, Grimmjow felt the tug of tears. A part of him wanted to give in, and the other more feral, animalistic side was snarling, calling him a pussy. What did he care of feelings? Why the fuck was he scared?

Scared? Scared of…what?

"Shit," Grimmjow murmured, resting on the edge of the couch so he wouldn't fall down. He felt weak, or sick, or both. He didn't know if he wanted to yell or throw up. His arms felt heavy; it was crushing, this sensation. This…what was this?

Grimmjow laid back, giving into the wave of emotions, letting them flow over him like a tidal wave, nearly stealing his breath as he laid in the cold apartment, remembering that he had been vulnerable for only a moment last night and confessed his true feelings. He had rushed into that shower and fell at the berry's feet, hugging him tight as if he were important and irreplaceable, as if his presence mattered in the master scheme of the universe.

Fuck, vulnerable. Vulnerable. It was a sick word, a disgusting word. How could he have allowed it? How could…he, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, allow such a disgusting thing to happen? Grimmjow wasn't vulnerable: he was solid rock, steady as a fire and unmovable as a mountain.

And then a berry with brown eyes and a temper an Irishman would be proud of took over his life. Just like that. Snapped it, like a rubber band and brought the universe screeching to a dead stop.

JUST LIKE THAT…

He had been abandoned. AGAIN. Of course it bothered Grimmjow that he had never known his father, the European prick responsible for his outrageous hair and broody eyes. That the man had left him before he was even born had to mean something. Maybe that was why his mother had resented Grimmjow so much: he had taken her joy, her life, hadn't he? Maybe he had deserved the drunken beatings and slurred words of hate and contempt. Maybe he had even deserved the constant teasing of the full-blooded Japanese kids, the ones who had called him GAIJIN, an outsider.

His fists and his rage had been the only answer: soon the kids were running from him in fear, and any that dared to call him GAIJIN got their teeth rearranged by a fist.

And the weak had stood with the weak to become the strong. Nnoitra had been called The Stick for his unusual height and thinness. Yammy had been ridiculed with calls of CHIDEBU, short fatty. Ilforte had been called a girl for his feminine-like attributes and corn-silk blonde hair thanks to a Swedish father. Luppi, oh Luppi…Luppi had suffered more than any of them, boys threatening to rape him on a daily basis, beating him in the locker rooms until he passed out, calling him dirty words that made him so violently angry that he had snapped in middle school and nearly beaten several boy students to death. From that day on, people had kept a wide radius from him, rumors spreading that he had arms like an octopus to be able to defend himself so well against so many.

And they had all stood together eventually; all the outsiders had attracted the wrong kind of attention from street gangs. It was how the whole mess had begun with The Hollows.

Because of being misunderstood, alone, and ABANDONED. ABANDONED, like he had been today. Ichigo had left him; there was no other explanation needed. Grimmjow could hear Ichigo loud and clear on this one: it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on.

Grimmjow chuckled, picking himself up off of the couch and going back to the bedroom and donning his wet clothing. He didn't even feel it this time: the cold, sinking sensation had already worked itself into his system. His skin, at this point, was pretty much nonexistent.

After searching like a blind man for his car keys, he left the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

**XXX**

["Still Breathing" by Mayday Parade. I CRIED when I heard this song and just knew it was right…]

Ichigo sat in a daze at the lunch table, unable to eat. His friends were jostling around him, Keigo being his usual idiot self and overdramatic. Tatsuki was currently karate-chopping the top of his head, yelling at him for being an insensitive jerk. Everybody was joking, laughing, carrying on with the typical youthfulness that was naïve high school life.

Damn, he was tired. Exhausted. Ichigo felt as if his head were going to fall straight into the untouched spaghetti.

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki screeched, her face nearly red from exertion.

"What?" Ichigo said, looking up and staring across the table at her dumbly. He hadn't even wanted to come to school today, but he hadn't been able to stay home, trapped in Grimmjow's tight embrace for another second. They had fallen asleep staring at each other across the futon, as if staring at something that they wanted more than life itself but knowing they could never truly have it. Sometime during the night, their bodies had shifted towards each other to almost hug, Grimmjow's arms large and warm and inviting. Ichigo had allowed it for as long as he could stand it, unable to sleep much after realizing he was lying in Grimmjow's arms. He had battled through the night, trying to understand his feelings, trying to make sense of the life choices before him. He wanted Grimmjow. God how he wanted him. And then his stupid boy pride had started to pester him, an inner voice chastising him, telling him it was too fast, too fast…too soon, too much. Too…exhausting. Ichigo felt like a ghost, disconnected from his body and floating somewhere in outerspace as he watched this shell walk around, half-heartedly trying to mask his problems as his stupid, idiotic, carefree high school friends flirted, laughed, and called each other pointless names.

It was all so juvenile; why did he bother? Why had he come? Fuck the school and their stupid attendance restrictions. It hadn't been that. It had been an escape, a chance to evaluate what he was going to do, what he was going to make of himself. What was he going to accomplish? What would he choose? Could he have Grimmjow, really? Especially after last night…admitting something like that…aloud…God, how stupid was he? He had probably freaked both of them out last night. Ichigo felt his chest tighten as he remembered Grimmjow's constant murmurings of 'I love you' and Ichigo's body burned with the physical need to touch and feel Grimmjow. He wanted the physical, yes, Kami (god) yes, but he wanted that openness, that emotional connection he had never forged with anybody else. He wanted…he wanted…

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" Tatsuki screamed, her face only an inch away from his, her face completely furious, "What the hell is wrong with you? Stop spacing out, idiot!"

"What?" Ichigo said robotically.

"Yeah, what's up, Ichigo?" Keigo said, hooking an arm around Ichigo's shoulders, making him tense. He didn't like Keigo's arm on him. They had been friends for a long time, but it felt wrong now. It should be Grimmjow's arm there, not his.

"Nothing," Ichigo mumbled, trying very hard to grin but failing miserably. He twirled a spaghetti noodle on his fork, trying to look nonchalant, "I'm fine. It's just been a long week."

"You look exhausted," mousy little Momo piped up, her brows drawn in concern, her large, doe eyes reminding Ichigo of a helpless chibi character, "Are you sure you're alright, Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo held himself in check: there was no reason for him to lash out. No, they were his friends. They had a right to be worried. He just…he just…

"I need some space," he announced, standing up quickly and shrugging Keigo off of him, "I need some air."

He walked away, leaving the small table of friends stunned. He thought he was alone as he made his way through the cafeteria and into a side hallway, hoping the roof was abandoned. Sometimes there was a smoker or two, but Ichigo would gladly share the space with the quiet rebels and get fresh air than be stuck back at that claustrophobic, loud, useless table.

"Ichigo!"

Damn. So much for freedom. Ichigo turned on Tatsuki, his eyes blazing, "What?"

Tatsuki looked unsure a moment, then got that stubborn resolve in her eyes like when she was boxing, "What the hell's the matter with you? You've been disappearing a lot for the past two weeks; you've barely been coming to school. You've been spaced out higher than a kite, and now, you're lower than the frickin' ground! What's going on? Seriously, you can tell me, Ichigo, I'll listen!"

"I don't NEED you to listen!" Ichigo shot back, feeling as if he had been backed into a corner. All the tension in his shoulders was beginning to give him a headache, "I don't need this right now, alright? I'm dealing with some fuckin' complicated shit right now, and you're not helping!"

Tatsuki took a step back, although she only seemed more angered by the statement then hurt, "Jesus, Ichigo! I'm only trying to help you!"

"Well DON'T!" Ichigo yelled, holding his hands out in his anger, knowing his face was red as he lashed out, "I didn't ask any of you for help! It's all pointless, don't you see that? I've got fuckin' dreams, Tatsuki, ambitions! Everybody at that fuckin' stupid table are carrying on about shit that's not gonna matter tomorrow! Fuck parties, girls, and prom! Keigo's not even going to go to college: he's gonna take over his family's flower shop like a good little boy, even though he wants to be a fuckin' comedian! Hanatarou wants to be a fuckin' t.v. sports-broadcaster, but no, he's fucking staying HERE in Karakura because his grandmother convinced him that becoming a tea-ceremony master was more appropriate! And you, God you…"

Ichigo pointed a finger at Tatsuki, his rage nearly uncontrollable, "You always told me to go for my dreams, to be the fucking greatest guitarist in the world, to take my band somewhere someday, to fuckin' make something of myself, to piss on my dad and his dream that I'd take over the clinic someday, and look at me, Tatsuki! I've finally got options, I've got ideas and I've got dreams that are bigger than this town! You had big dreams, too! You were gonna be the world's greatest female boxer, take the championship ten years in a row! And what are you doing, Tatsuki? What are you DOING? You're gonna go to law school, just like your daddy tells you to, because you want to make HIM happy. I'm fuckin' sick of all of you pretending to be something you're not! I won't be that person, Tatsuki: I WON'T HIDE who I AM ANYMORE!"

Only a few students had been in the long hallway to witness the scream fest, but they had quickly fled, knowing a fight between Tatsuki and Ichigo usually ended in brutal fists and kicks. It wasn't unusual, but kids bolted nonetheless. Ichigo had never gotten this upset before, and the shock on Tatsuki's face told Ichigo all he needed to know.

He had gone too far.

"Fuck you," Tatsuki breathed, her chest huffing as if she had run a mile, "Fuck you, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

She turned and fled, leaving Ichigo alone, just like he had wanted.

**XXX**

School had dragged on and Ichigo had made his way to work in a daze. The candy shop was usually a place of calm for the berry, but today as he donned the silly light pink apron and scooped ice cream and piled nuts and drizzled chocolate syrup, he felt less than human. Worse, he felt like a robot.

And he had to repeat it all over again the next day. He sat at another table that day, away from everyone. Keigo had hunted him in the hallways, demanding an explanation, while the others stared at him as if he were an alien and Tatsuki avoided him all together, not even looking at him. And here he was again, back at the candy shop, sweeping and offering fake smiles to customers as he created food full of fat and sugar, knowing he was aiding them in their inevitable addiction and giving them diabetes for a profit.

He had abandoned his phone, unsure of what to do. He had one more day, one more day to get those papers to Aizen, to tell his family his dream, to fess up and become the man he had always wanted to be, or risk losing it all. And he had risked it; he had risked Grimmjow. He had come home to an empty apartment, a part of him knowing he had known it would be empty. Still…if Grimmjow had been there, maybe it would have been a sign that everything was going to be okay, that things weren't spinning hopelessly out of control. But he HAD done it; he had fucking LEFT Grimmjow…

What was he doing? What was he DOING?

"Ichigo-kun," Urahara said, his voice light and friendly, "Would you mind helping that table that just walked in? Ururu's got her hands full."

"Yeah," Ichigo said, turning and stopping midstride, his eyes widening as he quickly ducked back behind the counter like he was diving into a bunker to escape a bomb. He peered over the top of the counter, hoping the two people that had just walked in hadn't seen him. He felt his hands shaking, so he tightened them in his lap, forcing them to stay still as he tried to breathe properly.

**XXX**

"So yer plan's 'ta get fuckin' fat?" Nnoitra mocked, taking a seat at one of the only empty tables in the ice cream and candy shop.

"Fuck you," Grimmjow murmured, taking a seat at the low-rise table, his legs crossed under him traditional Japanese style. The decorating in this place was ludicrous: half the shop was sleek and modern-looking, while the other half looked like a traditional-style Japanese dining room with low tables, seating matts, and even little glowing lanterns on the tables. They weren't lit now, but Grimmjow supposed it would be rather romantic at night with a date. Grimmjow clenched his fists at his sides, remembering this was fucking the first 'date' he and Ichigo had ever been on. He hadn't counted the diner, seeing as that crazed fan girl with the gigantic tits had ruined it for the both of them. It had really started here, with the delicious ice cream creation and the cherry stems…

"Fuck," Grimmjow cursed as Nnoitra stared at the menu that was in both Japanese and English.

"This place is fuckin' creepy," Nnoitra offered, his eye falling on a blonde man dressed in what looked like green pajamas with a coat, clogs, and a ridiculously unfashionable white-and-green striped hat.

The man smiled at him, then opened a fan and covered half of his face before Nnoitra shivered, too uncomfortable to stare anymore.

"Oi, Hat 'n Clogs! How 'bout some service here?" Nnoitra called, loud enough for the man to hear but Nnoitra didn't look directly at him. The guy was just too fuckin' creepy.

"ABSOLUTELYYYY," the man sing-songed back, snapping his fan closed as he went behind the tall candy bar that held all kinds of sweets and held the register, "Be with you gentlemen in JUUUUST a sec…"

Grimmjow looked up as he heard a yelping sound, followed by a string of low curses as Mr. Hat and Clogs kicked somebody out from behind the counter, the fan over his face as he whispered something.

"I hate you!" Ichigo seethed in a whisper-yell.

Grimmjow's eyes went wide as he stared at the berry who was picking himself up off of the floor, dusting off the cute pastel pink apron the creepy shopkeeper made his employees wear. God, but Grimmjow wanted to drool. He could just imagine forcing the berry to wear that apron naked, his sweet backside exposed, his face red as he panted Grimmjow's name, begging Grimmjow to touch him in all the right and naughty places…

FUCK NO! Grimmjow mentally slapped himself. He had had no idea the berry fuckin' worked here! If he had known, he wouldn't have come. It was sad, but Grimmjow had wanted some fucking comfort food after brooding for a couple of hours in the hotel room, Nnoitra finally complaining that he would go with the dumb fuck if he footed the bill. Grimmjow just wanted to wallow with his best friend with some kick-ass ice cream; he hadn't expected to see the berry at all.

**[Recommend "Take this to Heart" by Mayday Parade. Pretty much covers the rest of the chapter, but I know the song isn't long enough for that, so you might get through the song twice?]**

Ichigo's eyes fell on their table, his hands in front of him as if he were trying to keep them still. Was he shaking? Was he fucking SHAKING? Was he that SCARED of him? Grimmjow growled low in his throat, afraid he was about a second from destroying the freaking candy shop. His throat closed over as he fought a lump in his throat, his eyes itching from tears or rage, he wasn't sure which.

"Wha the fuck?" Nnoitra grinned, staring at the berry in the delectable get-up, "Ah hell, berry, no fuckin' way!"

"Please watch your language," the shopkeeper said sweetly, "There are children around."

Nnoitra looked around the other tables, some parents giving him dirty looks as children whined and ate their ice cream, "Yeah, I bet that's why ya built 'tha place, ya' freaky pedophile."

Hat and Clogs just laughed cheerily, than swatted his fan on top of Nnoitra's head so fast and hard Nnoitra cursed as he nearly flipped out of the chair, "Wha the fu-"

"FUN!" Urahara finished for him with bravado, "Yes, my friend, FUN! What the fun! Yes, this place surely imbibes the spirit of youth, doesn't it? Hahaha!"

"Cut it out, old man," Ichigo ordered, pushing Urahara towards another table, "You're creeping everybody out again."

"Sorry, Ichigoooo," Urahara said, hiding behind the fan again, hiding another smirk, "I'll leave you to the CUSTOMER, then. Make sure you TAKE CARE of the CUSTOMER, Ichigo-kun, and UNDERSTAND their ORDER fully."

Ichigo's face lit up in embarrassment as Urahara tried to send him the stupid code. How could the crazy shopkeeper even know what he was going through? But, strangely enough, it made Ichigo appreciate his boss a little more. He could be a total goofball, but Ichigo knew he was brilliant and picked up on people's emotions nearly instantly.

When Urahara had kicked him out from behind the counter, he had been royally pissed and ready to deck the shopkeeper for exposing him. Hell, he hadn't cared about his job in that moment, figuring it was worth the risk when the shopkeeper had leaned over, whispering to him with the fan, as if the fan could block out the rest of the world from his words, "You can fix it, Ichigo-kun. I know you can."

The words had caught him off guard for only a second, confusing him and making his anger come out for no other reason than to think his boss was tampering in his affairs, "I hate you!"

Urahara had simply smiled at him, "Go see him."

Ichigo had gulped, making his way across the floor as Urahara basically ordered Nnoitra to stop cursing.

And now here he was, eye-locked with the man he had left. No, not left, just…temporary avoidance. Ichigo didn't know whether Grimmjow's expression was angry, and for a second that made him ridiculously self-conscious and afraid.

Then Grimmjow's mask turned angry, his eyes searing into Ichigo and making him almost gasp, like Grimmjow had shot him.

"Let's go," Grimmjow ordered his friend, standing up quickly and turning his back on Ichigo.

"Huh? But I wanna try this Seretei Slammer shit!" Nnoitra whined, pointing a long finger at the yummy looking picture on the menu, "It looks fuckin' awesome!"

"Fine, stay, but I'm leaving," Grimmjow growled, already halfway out the door, "See ya."

Ichigo stood still, frozen. What…what could he do? Grimmjow…he had never seen Grimmjow so angry. Of course he had been holding it back, but Ichigo just KNEW, could see it in his eyes and the set of his jaw and his heavy footsteps…

Jesus, what had he done? What was Grimmjow thinking? All he had been worrying about was his own feelings, his own problems. He had never thought about how Grimmjow would feel to wake up alone: did he hunt the apartment, call his name? Worry about him? And Ichigo had never called, never tried to reach him. Had left him, too afraid to breach that emotional wall they had created in the bedroom, calling those words that neither knew how to handle.

Oh god oh god oh god oh god…

"Wha the fuck is goin' on?" Nnoitra murmured, turning his violet eye on Ichigo, "Did'ja piss him off?"

Ichigo's throat constricted as he tried to move, tried to say something. All that came out was a tired breath, as if all the air had left his lungs. God, was this what it felt like to lose everything?

"I left him," Ichigo murmured, not caring if Nnoitra heard him. He felt tears sting his eyes, but they didn't spill over, "I fuckin' left him alone..."

"Che," Nnoitra said, throwing one of his ridiculously long legs over the edge of the table and leaning back, "Then go fuckin' get 'im, baka. Wha' tha fuck 'ya waitin' for?"

Ichigo's head snapped to look at Nnoitra, the words sinking in slowly but surely. Yeah, what the fuck WAS he waiting for? Life was all about waiting: waiting to go to school, waiting to make it on the soccer team, waiting for your first kiss, waiting for a career, and ultimately waiting for death. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Why wait? Why not just slap time in the fucking kisser and stomp on him once in a while? Why not grab the one thing you want in the universe the most in that one moment and make it all yours? Why not scream at the tops of your lungs that you're in love and run through the streets like a mental patient? Some things just weren't rational: Ichigo's love for Grimmjow sure as hell wasn't rational, especially since time and friends and society would all say he was crazy. Fuck, he didn't mind being crazy, as long as Grimmjow was crazy as hell with him. Why didn't he just go for it? Why didn't he just take a leap, just this ONCE in his life? Why not? Why not…?

"Why not," Ichigo repeated aloud, taking off running out of the candy shop even as Nnoitra called something to him. Ichigo ignored it: he ignored the staring people he flew past, most of them staring at him like he was a runaway from the law or an escaped mental patient. His hands pumped, his legs making him fly over the pavement as he turned another corner where the parking was for the shop.

His heart stopped in his chest as he heard tires squeal, his hands falling out in front of him as he braced himself against the hood of a jaguar, his chest heaving as he stared through the windshield at a hard-breathing Grimmjow.

"What the fuck!" Ichigo heard Grimmjow roar, throwing open his door and stepping out, staring at Ichigo in what was a mixture of anger and fascination, "I coulda' fucking KILLED you! Don't you ever fucking look when you tear around corners, you stupid –"

Warm, soft lips crushed against his raving mouth, making Grimmjow suck in a breath, his words lost as his mouth was ravaged by the invading tongue. Ichigo tugged at his jaw with both hands, pulling him down to his height, clinging to him desperately as they both fought for air. Grimmjow groaned into the berry's mouth, gripping Ichigo's hips with his hands, digging his fingernails into the skin until he heard a strangled grunt from the berry.

Ichigo finally pulled back, one of his hands running around and gripping the base of Grimmjow's skull, anchored by his blue hair, "Who's the stupid idiot, huh? Who's the idiot that told me he fuckin' loved me?"

Grimmjow was thrown off, his muddled mind searching for an argument, his mouth finally settling for, "What?"

"Asshole, I was SCARED," Ichigo said, slamming a fist against Grimmjow's chest and making him grunt, "I've never EVER felt this way about ANYONE. I've never told anybody besides my mother I loved them. Jesus, and you sprout it off after barely a week…"

"I can't help how I feel!" Grimmjow growled back, a hand in Ichigo's shirt, the other still placed on a hip, "I can't CONTROL myself around you! You think it was easy for me to say? You think I fuckin' say that everyday? I've never loved ANYBODY the way I love you, Ichigo. I never uttered those words to a single fuckin' person a day in my life, and I say them to you over and over again, and when I wake up, you're NOT THERE. You LEFT me, Ichigo; you ABANDONED ME!"

Ichigo pushed against Grimmjow, his forehead burrowed into the older boy's chest, both trying to catch their breaths, "God, I'm so stupid…so stupid…"

Grimmjow supported Ichigo's weight as he started to slide down to the concrete, bringing Grimmjow down with him on his knees, his heart having palpitations. God, he was literally crawling out of his skin! What was the berry doing to him?

"I'm sorry…"

Grimmjow listened to Ichigo sob, stunned. Instead of pulling away he held the berry closer, trying to lift his head, but the berry fought him, just burrowing deeper into Grimmjow's chest.

"Why?" Grimmjow murmured, his voice sounding broken. Fuck, if this wasn't vulnerable, he didn't know what was. But at this point, his mind was beyond reason, and his emotions be damned, "Why Ichi?"

"I'll never do it again," Ichigo took a deep breath and snorted, trying to keep himself from sniveling all over the place. His eyes were getting red and swollen, but the tears had stopped, "I'm so sorry, Grimmjow, I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to…"

Grimmjow's hands cradled Ichi's face as he kissed him, wanting nothing more than to make the berry whole again. Jesus, he never wanted to see Ichigo cry like this again. People could lie, people could bullshit, but Grimmjow knew these tears and that sobbing voice were real. Ichigo was truly, deeply, honestly sorry, and in Grimmjow's heart he knew he had already forgiven him.

"I thought…" Grimmjow said, finally breaking the kiss, "I thought I had been abandoned again. I can't go through that again, Ichi. I can't. I won't."

"I won't," Ichigo said reassuringly, wiping at his face with both hands, "I fuckin' swear I won't, Grimm. I wanna be with you, all the time, in all places. I'm gonna join Espada; I'm gonna travel with you, make music with you, make love with you, and fuck, if it was fuckin' possible, I'd even have your goddamned, blue-haired devil babies."

Grimmjow snorted at the absurdity of the last statement. Even so, his heart swelled with new love and pride in his berry. God, he had never wanted to be a father before those words had left Ichigo's sweet, kissable lips. Grimmjow leaned in to take advantage of those said lips, chuckling as he tugged at the apron Ichi was still wearing, "You're already dressed ta be my perfect wife, Ichi."

"Fuck you," Ichigo murmured, his face cracking into a smile as he rode the high of his absolute happiness.

"Some other time," Grimmjow growled playfully into his ear, licking the lobe, "but right now I'm gonna fuck ya senseless, got it?"

"Y-yes sir," Ichigo murmured, feeling himself be hoisted up off of the hot cement and practically thrown into the car. Both thanked all the powers that be that Ichigo's apartment was only a few blocks away.

**XXX**

"Ah, Grimmjow!" Ichigo screamed, his body going into a fit of spasms as his muscles milked Grimmjow's incredible length.

"Ichi," Grimmjow growled, slowing the pace again. Oh, he had nearly lost his mind, his instincts telling him to ram his sweet berry with everything he had, but no, he wanted to savor this moment. He wanted it to be a slow-scorching flame, not a wildfire like the other times. His hips rocked sensually, making Ichigo mewl and beg and cry, both slick with sweat as they paid homage to each other's bodies.

Grimmjow had never taken Ecstasy, but he knew the drug had nothing on this moment with Ichigo. Call him sappy as shit, but he felt as if their souls were being bonded together in that moment, tethered together by an unbreakable chain that neither would want to break in the first place. Grimmjow's groans were smothered by Ichigo's pants as his legs squeezed around him more fiercely, his fingers raking Grimmjow's back and forcing him to concentrate completely again.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo murmured, his arms wrapped tight around Grimmjow's neck, his mouth at his ear, his voice low, soft, "I love you."

Grimmjow thrust one last time, moaning as his body was racked by his orgasm, releasing into Ichigo as soon as the words had left his mouth. Ichigo tightened, his hips snapping as he cried out, Grimm finishing him off with a hand on his swollen cock.

"Ichigo," Grimmjow sighed, pulling gently out of Ichigo as they both came down from their sudden, intense orgasms. Ichigo's eyes were rolled shut, his skin flushed red, some bite marks beginning to turn purple. Grimmjow grinned: marking his berry was worth the couple ruptured blood vessels that had had to be sacrificed to make such a statement. Of course nobody could EVER touch him, ever. Except for a blue-haired devil, of course.

"About those babies," Grimmjow smirked, slowly licking the cum off of Ichigo's abs and making him groan, "how do you feel about two blue-haired stud muffins and a strawberry cutie?"

Ichigo laughed out loud, practically shaking, "You dumb fuck! This isn't some crazy fan-girl fiction."

"No, I suppose not," Grimmjow huffed, finally rolling off of his berry and gathering him into his arms, cinnamon eyes staring into endless calm blue, "but don't you fuckin' think for even a SECOND I'm not going to think of beautiful and wicked things to do to you in that drool-worthy apron of yours."

Ichigo's face lit up in a blush as Grimmjow chuckled, kissing him repeatedly on the lips, forehead, and cheeks. Ichigo burrowed into his chest, mumbling something about having a sadistic seme for a boyfriend.

"Bet your sweet ass you do," Grimmjow said, squeezing one of those sweet ass cheeks under the covers and making Ichigo squeal.

A manly squeal, of course.

**WOWZA, if that wasn't full of angst and dripping with sweet, sexy fluff, I don't know what is!** *I seriously struggled very hard with this chapter! I hope it was at least a little satisfying! I mean, come on, we DO only live once, right? I'm glad I at least held myself back at least a day between the "abandonment" and the "reuniting". **And yes, that was a Mistress Penelopye fanfic reference with the cute little babies ;)** **I can't wait for more of her amazingness! I'm eagerly awaiting an update for Twin Flames and Solid Gold!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'm dying to know what you all think ^^**


	19. Angst, Love, & Orgasms

**This chapter's for Penny, because she rocks my socks and likes back stories** **;P**

**WARNING: Vulnerable/Angsty Nnoitra ahead! And a Grimmjow that I never thought I'd get around to writing about! I nearly died writing that scene, and you'll KNOW THE SCENE when you read it. TRUST ME. **

Chapter 19: Angst, Love, and Orgasms

"Get up," the cold voice commanded.

Nnoitra picked himself up off of the floor, his arms wobbling as he tried to sit up, the pain in his legs, shoulders, and chest excruciating.

"Come on," the voice taunted, a black boot stepping on Nnoitra's left hand and grinding on it, making Nnoitra groan. He was sick of this, sick of being here. He had thought it was all over, had thought they would leave him alone now.

But Nnoitra had been stupid. No, no they would never leave him alone. Not until they taught him a lesson he would never forget.

"I'm glad you are no longer one of us," Tousen said, his sightless eyes covered by those damnable black sunglasses. He stood over Nnoitra as Nnoitra began to cough up more blood, his head swaying slightly as he tried to stay conscious, "you're too weak to belong." Tousen had murmured it in Spanish, which Nnoitra had become fluent in over the past few years. It was a very powerful Japanese crime gang that had ties to Spanish gangs in America, like a brotherhood. Spanish was spoken nearly more than Japanese, so it had been crucial to pick up.

"You're bleeding like a dog," Tousen continued in Spanish, gripping Nnoitra's hair so tightly Nnoitra wondered if his scalp was bleeding, "perhaps I shall kill you like one."

Shit, Tousen had already beaten the fuckin' living daylights out of him. Well, not just Tousen, as Nnoitra probably could have taken on Tousen by himself. Even though the tall black fucker was blind, he was a very skilled and deadly fighter. Nnoitra didn't know Kaname Tousen's history and honestly he didn't give a flying fuck about it anyway. All he knew was that he was bad news, had always been bad news, and was Gin Ichimaru's attack dog. Nnoitra wondered if Tousen was doing this out of some twisted sense of justice for Gin or if he had just gone under the radar and attacked by himself. Nnoitra doubted Ichimaru hated him enough to go through all of this after already having their names cleared from the gang, but who fuckin' knew? Gin had been their boss and had seemed to like Grimmjow and Nnoitra enough to give them some power in the gang.

Ichimaru was a very powerful and dangerous man, and Nnoitra knew he wasn't petty enough to kick a nobody down when they were already practically buried. Nnoitra was only guessing, but this just wasn't Gin's style: he didn't need to sneak around and play Thug Life with lowlifes when he had legal and illegal businesses to run. So, it was Tousen playing Master and Commander. Tousen's little thug cronies had caught him off guard coming home late that night and jumped him. Nnoitra had put up a valiant fight but at the end of the day, there had just been too many.

Nnoitra spit blood on one of Tousen's boots, grinning at the man that had made his life a living hell, "_Callete la boca ahora, puta_. Fuckin' rot in hell, Tousen."

Nnoitra felt fear creep up his spine at the very slow, mechanical smile that took hold of Tousen's face, his dreads shadowing his face as he sightlessly stared down at Nnoitra, "Hold him."

Nnoitra struggled against four or five of Tousen's newest recruits, their heads shaved clean, their eyebrows cut with lines to show their new affiliation. Nnoitra was pushed down, his long legs kicking but they were soon immobilized and all he felt was a blade slice across his face, his left eye feeling as if it had been burned from the inside out. Nnoitra's body contorted as he clawed, screaming at the tops of his lungs as the fiery pain increased.

"Shhh," Tousen warned as Nnoitra continued to flail and scream, "Don't wake up your mommy…"

**XXX**

Nnoitra jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat, making the sheets stick to him uncomfortably as he clawed out of the bed. He lay on the floor a few moments, the cool air hitting his skin and making him sane. He rummaged on the side dresser, pulling the half-used pack of cigarettes off of the dresser and reaching for the silver lighter. His fingers shook as he lit the fag, pulling on it and exhaling deeply, trying to calm his rattled nerves. Fuck, it had seemed so real, like it had been happening again.

He got the nightmares occasionally, maybe once a month. Some were worse than others, but most of the time it was the memory playing over and over again, like a broken record player. Tousen's cold face, those lips turning up into a smirk as he ordered the others to hold him down. The desperation, the unbelievable panic as Nnoitra felt himself lose all control, the stinging, agonizing pain of a blade destroying his eye.

He put a hand over the bandana, feeling a tingling sensation as his nerve receptors spun the memories in his brain to his skin. The scar wasn't even that bad, but the eye had been damaged beyond repair. It was a glassy, cloudy white orb now that was better left hidden behind his long hair and various bandannas. Nnoitra only ever took the bandanna off around Grimmjow, as he had been the one to find him and take care of him, get him to the emergency hospital. That day was forever burned into his memory, and Nnoitra felt as if he owed Grimmjow his very life, which he did.

Things could have turned out so much worse if Grimmjow hadn't come that night on the off chance that his best friend would come out drinking with him. He had called a dozen times, but Nnoitra obviously couldn't respond, as he had been getting the living shit beaten out of him. Worried, Grimmjow had gone to investigate, and when he got there…

Nnoitra scratched at the scar on his face, tearing the bandanna away as tears rimmed his eyes, two spilling over. Sometimes Nnoitra's damaged eye would tear up; there was nothing he could do about it but wait it out, and tonight wasn't one of those nights. His other eye was crying as well, which pissed him off even more.

But just remembering that night…

"Fuck!" Nnoitra growled, standing up and pacing the room, his cigarette in the corner of his mouth as he headed to his private balcony. The cool night air helped him a little, but he was still battling those pesky things called feelings. Fuck, it had been an absolute nightmare. Tousen hadn't just taken his eye that night. No, he hadn't been kidding when he had told him to stop screaming. Most of Tousen's handy-work had been done in the backyard, Nnoitra thankful that his mom was safe inside. But with all the commotion…

Nnoitra tried to control his breathing as he rested his head against the cool railing, the cigarette falling out of his fingers as he fought the memory...

_"Who-who are you? Get away from him!"_

_"Mommy's awake," Tousen said as Nnoitra's screams echoed throughout the small ghetto. Nobody in their right mind would help him; it was common to hear gunshots and screams in that piece of shit neighborhood he had grown up in._

_"Don't fuckin' touch her!" Nnoitra bellowed, his incredible pain forgotten as a surge of strength possessed him and he managed to wrestle off two of the boys holding him down, "Mom, get out of here! Run!"_

_"Get away from him!" the slender, pale woman with long, black hair screamed, charging at the boys covering her son, "Don't touch him!"_

_"Go!" Nnoitra snarled, kicking one of the boys in the gut and slamming his already-throbbing forehead against another distracted boy, "Mom…!"_

_Nnoitra stopped breathing, his shoulders hunching at the memory of the gunshot._

_Everything had moved in slow motion then, Nnoitra's eye wide with horror as he watched his mother's expression turn from surprise to horror. The blood bloomed on her chest like a deathly flower, horrible and unbelievable as she fell to her knees, dead before she hit the dirt of the lot._

_"Poor baby," Tousen said mechanically, putting his gun back in the band of his pants. Nnoitra hadn't known Tousen to ever use a gun; Nnoitra hadn't known it was even possible for him to be such a good shot due to his blindness, but here he had proven himself by killing his innocent mother._

He had smelled smoke and passed out soon after, but not before hearing Grimmjow screaming and hovering over him, begging him to stay conscious. He remembered tears in his best friend's eyes, sobbing, the whole nine yards.

That had been the last day of Nnoitra Jiruga's life.

A hospital. Lights. Doctors, hopelessness. Grimmjow's anger and heated words at the nurses, darkness. Morphine. Days of recovery. Police. Lots of hopeless questions that nobody had the answers to. Nnoitra had known better: even if he cried foul about Kaname Tousen, the police wouldn't do shit. Nobody touched The Hollows, nobody. They had their hands in everything, even the police department. Tousen would be on parole before Nnoitra could recite his ABC's. There would never be true justice, not in Nnoitra's eyes, not until he strangled the life from Tousen himself.

He lit another cigarette, burying the memories deep inside again, locking it away nice and tight to be forgotten. Eventually they would go away. Eventually, he'd get over it. Eventually, he would realize there was nothing in the world he could do to change his past. And eventually, he might forgive himself for the death of his mother. And some day, he was going to put a fucking bullet between those sightless, evil eyes of Kaname Tousen, and the nightmare would finally end.

**XXX**

Ichigo's face buried deeper into a warm chest, his arms now twined impossibly around that delicious rib cage he had licked, nipped, and kissed for what seemed like hours. He sighed, content. He took another breath, enjoying the intense giddiness. Yeah, he was definitely happy. Too fucking happy.

"Morning," Grimmjow yawned huskily, shifting under the covers to accommodate Ichigo's cuddling technique. Grimmjow's fingers ran through orange locks, massaging Ichigo's scalp until he practically purred. Grimmjow chuckled as Ichigo finally picked up his head and kissed Grimmjow's chin. Unsatisfied, he moved up farther to kiss swollen lips. Tongues played, but neither were aggressive about it. It was just a lingering affection that made both boys' hearts flutter.

"I'm surprised you can even move," Grimmjow murmured against Ichi's lips, smirking.

"Ass hole," Ichigo sighed, the insult sounding more like an endearment, "I must be a masochist. You're a fuckin' animal, Grimm."

Grimmjow growled, rolling over so he was on top of the berry, Ichigo's eyes laughing as he stared at Grimmjow's sexy bed head of hair.

"You have no idea," Grimmjow threatened sexily, his breath fanning across Ichigo's face and making him suck in a breath. Well, now that both of them were officially hard again, Ichigo decided he had better take advantage of the situation.

"I think you're forgetting something," Ichigo said amusedly, distracting Grimmjow with his fingers as they slid over chiseled pecs and abs. Grimmjow hissed, closing his eyes a second at the berry's touch. Fuck, would they ever get sick of each other?

The answer was no, no fucking way in hell.

Grimmjow was temporarily confused as he felt himself being pulled over, but was not about to protest because now his sweet berry was straddling his hips, his flushed skin looking absolutely delicious, his caramel eyes blazing with a need that Grimmjow knew well.

But the way the berry was smiling at him right now made Grimmjow extremely nervous.

"Why ya lookin' at me like that?" Grimmjow asked, his fingers running along Ichigo's exposed hips and ribs.

Ichigo leaned back slightly, obviously enjoying the touch. Grimmjow knew he was, considering Ichigo's cock was currently trying to rape Grimmjow's belly button.

But the smile never left Ichigo's face as he looked down at Grimmjow, the very glare of the devil himself, "Because I'm about to rock your world, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Ichigo felt his legs tense as Grimmjow's cock sprung to full attention, pressing at his backside and making Ichigo suck in a breath. Shit, that had been far too easy.

"Really?" Grimmjow purred, one of his hands snaking over his stomach to clutch at Ichigo Junior.

"Stop distracting me," Ichigo warned, leaning forward and spreading his body out over his boyfriend, "you're not getting out of it, so shut up and enjoy."

"An aggressive Ichigo," Grimmjow smirked his wolfish grin, "I could get used to this."

Ichigo didn't reply, simply kissed him chastely on the mouth before sliding his body down to kiss his way down Grimmjow's chest, abs, even dipping his tongue into Grimmjow's belly button, smirking as he felt Grimmjow's fingers tighten on his hair. He let one hand run teasingly down Grimmjow's chest, feeling the light dusting of blue hair that made a sweet trail down to a certain neglected piece of anatomy that was practically screaming for attention. Ichigo obliged, licking Grimmjow's swollen cock and almost laughing when he heard Grimmjow's groan.

"Fuck, Ichi," Grimmjow said, his fist causing pain as it held Ichigo's hair, but it wasn't completely unpleasant. Yeah, he was definitely a masochist, "Shut up, Grimm. I'm gettin' ta that."

Ichigo carefully swallowed what he could of Grimmjow's monster cock, wondering when he had grown the balls to be so bold. This was actually the first time he had ever sucked Grimmjow off, the first time he had ever sucked anybody off, actually. And he found that he didn't exactly hate it.

Yeah, that whole being in denial of liking dick was out the window too.

He used his teeth carefully to graze along the shaft, enjoying Grimmjow's intake of breath as he sucked air through clenched teeth, trying to control himself as Ichigo brought him closer and closer to release. Fuck, for Ichigo being such a novice, he was doing an incredible job.

"Ichigo," Grimmjow husked, his stomach quivering as he felt Ichigo bob his head as he found a rhythm, making Grimmjow nearly howl.

With another good suck and a tickle of the balls, Grimmjow came hard, Ichigo not even trying to swallow. God, it was absolutely awful; salty and almost metallic. He licked his lips none-the-less, liking it a little more by remembering it was his boyfriend's. He spread cum onto his fingers, distracting Grimmjow with another lick along his shaft as he sneakily rubbed his now cum-covered fingers along Grimmjow's entrance.

Grimmjow's whole body seemed to tense, even as he shivered, the realization hitting him like a train, "oh FUCK!"

He shifted his hips away, like he was trying to roll out of the bed, but Ichigo kept a firm grip on his legs with his arms. He wasn't a fucking weak, sniveling uke. He could handle his man, and he wanted his man to fucking know that.

"Come on, Grimm. Loosen up, baby," Ichigo cooed, trying really hard not to laugh as Grimmjow stared at him in wide-eyed shock, a beautiful pink beginning to accumulate on his cheeks.

"I'm sure ya do want me to fuckin' loosen up, you sneaky bastard," Grimmjow growled, trying to look menacing but Ichigo just snorted, thinking it was too fucking cute.

But Ichigo could see fear in his boyfriend's eyes, so he decided to fight dirty. He composed his face, making sure to use the infamous puppy eyes that had always gotten him everything he wanted from his dad or friends, "Grimmjow, don't you love me?"

"You little shit!" Grimmjow snarled, obviously annoyed, "Fuck, you're such a dirty little…"

Ichigo chose that moment of distraction to insert a finger, surprised when Grimmjow immediately arched his back and sucked in a breath, his body trembling at the invasion, "Sh-shit!"

Ichigo decided distracting was his best bet, so he happily returned to Grimmjow's cock, licking it to attention again as he slowly began to pump his finger in and out, surprised that Grimmjow was beginning to bow his legs on his own. Ichigo's cock was weeping at this point, considering his boyfriend was making the greatest mewling noises he had ever had the pleasure of hearing. It was absolutely ridiculous: his Grimmjow, panting and moaning like a whore. It was breathtaking.

Another finger was inserted, making Grimmjow cuss up a storm, "Fuck, Ichi! I can't do this!"

"Come on, Grimm," Ichigo said huskily, sliding up to kiss him slowly, fanning the flames, "I want you to know how you make me feel. Please?"

"H-hahh!" Grimmjow breathed as Ichigo scissored his fingers, desperate to get inside Grimmjow before he completely freaked out and ran away.

Soon three fingers were in, and Grimmjow was no longer cussing or wincing. He was full on moaning, his hips beginning to push back against Ichigo's fingers, and he licked his lips in anticipation.

Fuck, now he was suddenly self-conscious. He wasn't small by any means, but Grimmjow was still larger than him. He had fucked a girl before, but a man? Was it the same? Obviously not, but Ichigo was still worried he wouldn't be able to please Grimmjow as well as he had originally planned.

Ichigo guided his cock to Grimmjow's puckered and waiting entrance, suddenly floored by emotion and lust. Yeah, he loved what Grimmjow did to him, but what could it hurt to experiment? Why couldn't they share the seme role? With that thought firmly planted in his mind, Ichigo pushed in rather quickly in his haste, not considering how fast it had actually been for Grimmjow.

"Dammit!" Grimmjow yelped, his chest heaving as he tried to control his breathing.

"Sorry," Ichigo murmured, not knowing why he said it, "are you okay?"

"Mmm," Grimmjow adjusted his hips, surprising Ichigo when his cock slid in a little further, making him overly excited, "F-fuck, nnh…just do it."

Ichigo pulled back slightly, breathing just as hard as Grimmjow. Fuck, he had to calm down. The testosterone partying in his veins and his brain was begging him to pound Grimmjow into the mattress with a violence that surprised even Ichigo. He had to stay in control: calm, cool, collected.

But when he shifted the angle slightly and struck something deep inside Grimmjow and he practically screamed in pleasure, Ichigo lost it.

Fuck control. It was so overrated.

Ichigo quickly picked up the rhythm, his hands bracing against the undersides of Grimm's knees, lifting him slightly to bury himself ball's deep in Grimmjow's tight entrance. It was hot, tight, and felt fucking amazing. Ichigo groaned as he shifted again, feeling as if he would never get deep enough, as if he would never reach the blinding white light at the end of the tunnel.

Grimmjow was arching his back, his hips beginning to move against Ichigo as they both sought the release that would bring them over the edge.

"Ichigo," Grimmjow finally murmured, his nails raking across Ichigo's hickey-covered chest, "faster."

Ichigo complied, moving at what he felt was a brutal pace as he remembered to reach out and jerk Grimmjow's cock, making him almost snarl. Fuck, Ichigo had never been so turned on in his life. He continued to stroke Grimmjow's cock in as close to time as he could with his thrusts, knowing the end was in sight.

Grimm tightened around him, making Ichigo nearly lose his breath as the white light crashed through him and he came, his back arching as he felt his hot seed flow into and out of Grimmjow's ass. Grimmjow moaned as he came seconds later, splattering Ichigo's chest as he fell forward, nipping Grimmjow's bottom lip and staying there until he came down off of the pleasurable high. He still hadn't pulled out of Grimmjow as they both became conscious of how sticky they were, considering they hadn't showered through the night's (and now the morning's) festivities.

"Holy SHIT."

Ichigo and Grimmjow cringed as there heads shot up to look at the bedroom doorway which currently held an actual human being. Tosh's eyes were the size of dinner plates as he stared at the spectacle before him, his face going red as Ichigo cussed and nearly fell out of the bed as he tried to tumble under the sheets, Grimmjow growling menacingly as he cussed along.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Tosh screamed, slamming the bedroom door, his footfalls retreating on the hardwood flooring.

"Fuck!" Ichigo hissed, grabbing the nearest article of clothing and throwing it on, not realizing they were Grimmjow's boxers. They hung very loosely on his hips as he opened the door and practically ran after his friend, "Tosh, hold up!"

"I'm so fucking sorry!" Toshiro cried, his eyes covered as he sniffled, "If I had had any idea that you two were…"

"It's okay," Ichigo said, taking a deep breath as he put a hand on Tosh's shoulder, "No big deal. Uh, it was, um, just kind of a shock."

"Indeed."

Ichigo groaned internally, his face lighting up as he realized Tosh had brought along a certain dark-haired, green-eyed boy with a lip ring, "Ulquiorra."

"Perhaps next time you might close, or even lock, the bedroom door," Ulquiorra said, shrugging from his place on the couch, "common sense, Ichigo."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how to avoid the awkwardness of this situation.

"But, Ichi," Toshiro's cheeks were still red as he stared at Ichigo's half-naked form, Grimmjow's blue boxers nearly falling off of his strong, lean hips, "I – I had no idea that, that you were SEME."

Ichigo blanched as Ulquiorra's eyes grew wide, both of them startled beyond words.

"U-uh, Tosh, that's…" Ichigo began, sputtering. How could the situation get any more fucking AWKWARD?

Enter Grimmjow.

Of course sporting those ridiculous strawberry-printed boxers Ichigo had been wearing the night before. They were a little tight on him, which only accentuated how well-endowed the blue-haired wonder was. His face was unreadable, his hair disheveled as he approached the living room, his eyes traveling from Ulquiorra to settle on Tosh, "Breathe a word about what you just saw, and I'll kill 'ya."

"Grimm!" Ichigo chastised, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Really, Grimm, I had no idea you liked to bottom," Ulquiorra said, a small smirk settling on his face as he stood up. Of course Ulquiorra had walked in on Grimmjow a handful of times over the years, and vise versa: neither boy had ever cared. Sometimes it just happened; nothing to be embarrassed about.

But damn, Grimmjow's face lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. He had NEVER bottomed in his LIFE, and now not only did one of Ichigo's closest friends know, now one of his closest friends knew.

And not only that, he had genuinely ENJOYED it. Of course it hadn't been exactly the most magical experience, but Grimmjow had honestly never even considered bottoming, and now that he knew it could bring such pleasure, he was glad he had let the love of his life steal that virginity. After all, Grimm had taken Ichi's. Now it was an issue of how often Grimm would be wrestling Ichigo for the privilege of seme.

But instead of being provoked by Ulquiorra's obvious bait for a snarky retort or a "fuck you", Grimmjow felt himself shrugging and being his usual don't-beat-around-the-bush self, "It feels fucking fantastic."

Silence. Toshiro's face was redder than a tomato as he rubbed his arm, Ichigo stared at Grimmjow in what was open-mouthed awe and wonder, and Ulquiorra's lip quivered before he started laughing softly.

Ulquiorra LAUGHING? Now the situation was fully 100% bizarre.

Grimmjow joined in, followed by Ichigo and a furiously-blushing Tosh. What else could they do, really? The situation really was laughable and it helped ease the awkward tension that had built up in the room.

"Um, sorry I just barged in like this," Tosh began, standing next to Ulquiorra, "but uh, I still had that key you gave me last year, and you weren't picking up your phone…"

"It's all good," Ichigo said, sitting down in a chair, "So what's up?"

"I wanted to make sure you could come to the gig tonight," Tosh said, looking at Ulquiorra a moment before looking back at Ichigo, "We're performing tonight, and I know you guys are really busy and probably wouldn't want to go…"

"Shut up," Ichigo commanded, "of course I'll fuckin' go! Renji's stupid ass isn't gonna keep me from seeing you perform, baka."

Toshiro smiled, and Ichigo noted how Ulquiorra's eyes were completely focused on Tosh, as if he were the reason for existence. It made him smile.

"More importantly," Ichigo began, pointing at Ulquiorra, "you think your boyfriend loves you enough to take on the throngs of screaming fan girls to defend you?"

Ulquiorra's eyes glittered at the challenge as he smirked back at Ichigo, wrapping an arm possessively around Toshiro, "Absolutely."

Ichigo smiled, then his face fell slightly as he slapped his forehead, "I'll be there, Tosh, but there's something else I gotta take care of first."

Grimmjow quirked an eyebrow.

Ichigo sighed, deep and long, "Time to come clean to Goat Face."

**XXX**

"There's something important I've got to tell you," Ichigo began, sitting across the table from his father Isshin Kurosaki, a.k.a Goat Face.

Isshin stared at him calmly, Ichigo knowing he was taking him seriously for once. His dad was usually extremely goofy and strange, trying to jump out and attack his children while usually shouting something that made him sound like a pathetic old man. He was ridiculously protective and proud of his children, which gave him a unique balance of intimidating and idiotic.

"What's this about, Ichigo?" Isshin said, using his doctor voice. Yeah, he was definitely taking this seriously for once.

"Ever since I was young dad…"

"Oh NO!" Isshin suddenly whined, his hands on both sides of his face, "oh Ichigo, my exalted son, daddy has failed you!"

Ichigo and Grimmjow blinked before looking at each other, then back across the table at Goat Face, "Uh, dad, can I finish?"

"Oh, Masaki, I've failed you!" Isshin continued on his rant, leaving the table to hug a rather large portrait of Ichigo's deceased mother that was hanging on the wall. Grimmjow looked from Isshin's odd behavior to Ichigo. Ichigo just shook his head and put a hand to his forehead, massaging the skin there before he got a headache.

"He's an absolute idiot," Ichigo murmured, waiting for Isshin to stop blubbering at his mother's portrait.

He finally wiped his nose and came back to the table, his hands before him, "Ichi, I want you to know that I will support you, with whatever you choose for your life. Your mother would never, ever forgive me if I didn't embrace you whole-heartedly, son."

"Uh, thanks dad," Ichigo mumbled, not getting what his father was going on about, "So, you know all about my obsession with…"

Isshin suddenly burst into tears, and once again, Ichigo tried not to let his temper get the better of him and sat back, waiting.

"I just, I just…" Isshin snorted, wiping his face, "I just can't believe you're telling me this NOW Ichi, my adorable son. Why didn't you tell daddy before?"

Ichigo looked at his father, confused, "How could I have told you before? I've only known for a little over a week."

This sent Isshin into hysterical fits of tears, his shoulders heaving as he tried to control himself.

"Dad, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Ichigo finally spat, ready to kick his father in the face like the good old days.

"Then how do you know? What if it's a mistake?" Isshin's face suddenly brightened a little at the possibility, before his eyes went to Grimmjow, his face now completely somber and serious, "A week, huh? You sure are a smooth operator, Mr. …?"

"Grimmjow," Grimmjow said, not intimidated in the least by this crazy man's behavior, "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

"Well, that's certainly a mouthful," Isshin said, still glaring daggers at Grimmjow before he slammed his hands on the table, "A week, hm? Is that how long it takes to seduce an innocent, beautiful, uncorruptable youth in Europe these days?"

"WHAT?" Ichigo blanched, his eyes the size of saucers.

Grimmjow began to laugh hysterically before enlightening Ichigo, "He thinks you're coming out to him!"

Isshin and Ichigo stared stupidly at each other as Grimmjow continued to laugh. As soon as Grimmjow quieted down, Isshin fired away, "So, uh…you're NOT gay?"

Ichigo's face turned red as he rubbed his hands together under the table, "Th-that's not the point! Look dad, I really came here to tell you I'm joining another band, Grimmjow's band, Espada. We leave after performing at the Kanonji Festival; tour dates are already made and I've already signed the contracts and given them to my new manager, and you said you'd support me in whatever I wanted to do –"

"Whoa! Hold the phone!" Isshin said, holding out a hand like he was a crossing guard, "Is this true?"

"Yeah," Grimmjow said, staring at Isshin like he was deaf and dumb, "I'm one hundred percent serious. Ichigo's voice is what I want for the band; he'll bring in a yearly revenue large enough to send your daughters to the most prestigious schools and colleges in the country, enough to get you your own hospital if you ever wanted to leave the clinic behind. He'll be famous almost instantly, travel the country, and eventually the world. He'll be living his dream."

"I heard all that," Isshin said, annunciating as if he were speaking to a mentally impaired person, which made Grimmjow glare, "What I asked was if it was true?"

"That I'm gay?" Ichigo said, dumbfounded, "Honestly, old man? THAT'S what you're worried about?"

Isshin nodded slowly, "I'll support you no matter what. You're an adult now: you have to make your own mistakes, your own decisions, and follow your own dreams. I can't stand in your way anymore: I can't force you to be a doctor, even though that would make me the happiest dad in the world. But, I'll be happy no matter what you decide, Ichigo: you're my son. I'm the luckiest dad in the world already."

Damn him! Ichigo felt tears pricking his eyes. He subtly wiped a hand across his face, as if he were brushing his bangs out of his face, but Grimmjow knew better, "Then you're okay with it?"

"Okay with it?" Isshin repeated, slamming a hand on the table, "Damn straight I'm okay with it! I can't believe you've kept it a secret all this time, my beloved son! Oh how you must have suffered, day after day! It's okay, be proud of yourself, son! You're very attractive and no one can question your youthful manliness! It comes from me, of course! Every gay man on the planet will be after you, I'm sure! I'm only sad that my only male heir will not be providing me with grandchildren to carry on the Kurosaki name, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Isshin's laughter was cut off by a deadly kick to the face as Ichigo growled ferociously before launching across the table and pounding his dad within an inch of his life.

Grimmjow was howling with laughter at this point, which made two twin girls appear in the stairwell, their eyes wide as they stared at Grimmjow, "We knew it! We always knew Ichi-nii was gay! Are you his lover?"

"Yuzu!" Ichigo whined. He had stopped beating his father, who was now staring between Ichigo and Grimmjow with fire in his eyes.

"Yeah," Grimmjow said, smirking at the two little girls who blushed furiously as Ichigo gaped at him.

"What the hell, Grimm? You can't say shit like that to my little sisters!" Ichigo roared, getting off of his father and nearly screaming in Grimm's face.

Grimmjow grinned at Ichigo before kissing him quickly on the mouth, shushing him in full view of his family.

"I like him," Karin announced, her arms folded over her chest, her dark eyes wise as they moved to her brother, "if he can laugh in dad's face and kiss you without you beating the living daylights out of him, I think he's a keeper."

Ichigo huffed, thoroughly annoyed. Not only was his father back to hugging the portrait of his mother, his sisters were now chatting with Grimm as if he was already a member of the family.

"Your band's kick ass," Karin added, producing a permanent marker from behind her back, "I'm gonna need you to sign a few things. If I'm gonna let you date my brother, the least you could do is help me get that new skateboard by selling your shit on Ebay."

Grimmjow laughed, rustling Karin's dark hair with a large hand as Yuzu giggled, announcing she was going to bake a "Coming Out" cake for Ichigo.

Ichigo just stared at the madness around him, a smirk finally worming its way onto his face, his heart light.

Yeah, it felt good to have a fucking crazy family.

**Wow, I'm amazed at my own stupidity. f.y.i, 'callete la boca ahora puta' means 'shut your mouth, bitch' ~i thought it was hot, especially with Nnoitra saying it xD**

**And how did you guys feel about the family playing into it? I know it's really stupid, but they're so funny in the anime. I probably destroyed them with my spin! And Tosh walking in on Ichi being seme? I swear I don't do drugs it just happened :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


	20. For Everything I Didn't Say

Chapter 20: For Everything I Didn't Say

It was good to hold a guitar again, Shirosaki thought as he began tuning his shiny black-and-white Grand Fisher electric guitar. It had cost him an arm and a leg back in the day, when Shirosaki had saved and scrimped for over a year at a part time job just to afford the beautiful piece of equipment. It was on par with a Zanpakuto; the power and potential on equal scale. He grinned as he took a stool and strummed a few times, his super-pale fingers flying over the strings. Oh, how he had missed this.

He had kept practicing occasionally, whenever he had time between jobs and school. His murky past had left him with little choice but to drown himself in music from a young age. Music had, almost quite literally, saved his life. Rescued him.

He owed his very soul to music.

He was brought out of his reverie by Rukia saying something snarky to Renji, who in turn called her a bitch and told her to chill the fuck out. They were currently all trying to get organized on the tiny-ass stage that Vizard's sported in the corner near an ancient-looking karaoke machine. Shirosaki doubted two hundred people could pack themselves into the small space, but the bartender and co-owner had reassured them that people would spill out onto the wooden tables provided outside along the sidewalk. Friday nights meant crowds, and Shirosaki didn't really care how many showed up as long as they got to play.

Shirosaki stopped playing when he noticed Toshiro's white head weaving his way through the tables and chairs of the music bar, his face flushed as a a silent, hooded shadow followed behind him.

"Yo," Shirosaki called in greeting, "Sup brother?"

"Sorry I'm late," Toshiro apologized, bumping fists with Shirosaki as Byakuya nodded and Rukia giggled.

"Glad ya could make it," Renji said, trying not to role his eyes, "Anyways, Shiro had some practice time this morning for the few songs we had planned for tonight. Wouldn't hurt to run over them before Love and Shinji open the place for business."

"We still have half an hour," Byakuya said, checking his cell phone, "time to run through a few."

"Alright," Tosh said, jumping up on the slightly-raised stage and heading for the drums, sitting quickly and pulling out the sticks he had stashed in a blue backpack.

Shirosaki grinned from Tosh's nervous posture to the tall slender hooded boy that had accompanied him. Shiro smirked when large, emerald green eyes met his inverted black and gold ones, "Oi, I remember you."

Ulquiorra's lip twitched, as if he was deciding whether to smirk or not, "Nice to see you again as well."

"So you two…?" Shiro raised a silky white eyebrow, looking back at Toshiro who was nodding his head as Renji explained something to him.

"He's mine," Ulquiorra said simply, his hands in his black hoodie pockets.

Shiro whistled low, drawing the others' attention, "Good 'ta know he's off limits. Didn't know how much longer I could keep my greedy paws off of 'im."

Shiro just laughed when Ulquiorra's stare became nearly murderous, his face mask-like except for the fire in those deep eyes.

"Just kiddin'," Shiro reassured, standing up and facing Renji, "Oi, we gonna do this or what?"

"Yeah yeah, keep yer pants on," Renji said, grabbing the mic propped up for him. Byakuya had picked up his black Zanpakuto that had etchings of beautiful cherry blossom petals. It should have been girly, but it wasn't. Rukia had her shoulder strap on to support her large Zanpakuto as she nodded to Renji. Shirosaki just grinned at him with that eerie beauty of his, and Toshiro snapped his drumsticks together, his icy blue eyes fired up, "Alright, set it off!"

**XXX**

Ichigo fought his way through the front door, Grimmjow nearly attached to his hip, followed by a very tall and pissed off Nnoitra. Jeez, he was going to beat the shit out of the strawberry for this goddamn idiotic disguise. Grimmjow had simply laughed before Nnoitra had punched him in the shoulder, Ichigo only remarking that if Nnoitra expected to tag along, he had to wear the stupid-ass disguise to avoid being mobbed in such a public place. Nnoitra had never considered his fame a curse, but now he understood the downside of not being able to go out and just listen to a band and have a goddamn beer without worrying about being mauled by hormonal teenage girls. Nnoitra grinned at the imagery, but then immediately remembered how pissed off he would be at the constant attention. Sure, he liked the perks, but he didn't like the perks swarming him every breath he took. It just got too fucking annoying.

So he tried to pull the ridiculous look off with bad-ass grace, even as the fake mustache hair itched and his beautiful long black hair had been pulled back and braided into a single tail. He was wearing black sunglasses instead of his usual bandanna. He still felt naked and exposed without it, but at least nobody could see his damaged eye. The black leather ensemble screamed trouble maker and motorcycle rider, especially with the unending tattoos on his arms and the menacing gait of his step and the curl of his lip as he ordered a beer at the crowded bar.

"Here ya go, stud," a fairly tan young man with blonde hair cut just above his shoulders, his grin revealing white teeth as he slid the beer towards Nnoitra.

Nnoitra slipped some yen across, brushing fingers with the yummy-looking bartender. Nnoitra admired his simple ensemble with the added flair of a black necktie, dressing it up a bit. Thinking about neckties made Nnoitra immediately start thinking about a certain albino who knew how to work that look to the point of driving Nnoitra crazy…

"Alone tonight?" the bartender continued, leaning over the top of the bar on his elbows, staring at Nnoitra with buttery-brown eyes.

"Nah," Nnoitra said, taking another chug of his beer. Fuck, why didn't he just tell this little faggot to fuck off? Nnoitra had always had an amazing gaydar: could tell a fruit loop from a mile away, so why was he letting the cute blonde flirt with him?

Oi, wait! Flirt? Cute? He thought the blonde was cute? Oh, but he was cute. His little smirk, that fit, slim body looking relaxed and in his element, the casual almost playful tone of voice that made Nnoitra curious to know how it sounded when it was in bed being fucked through the mattress.

Oi! What the FUCK was he thinking? He was thinkin' like a fuckin' faggot now, thanks to that damn Shirosaki and his fucking incredible, bangin' sexy body and mouth and tongue and lips…

"Shit," Nnoitra murmured, realizing his tight leather pants were becoming uncomfortable.

"Oh, that's too bad," blondie pouted, grabbing a shot glass and pouring a shot of tequila to a demanding, loud customer before turning back to Nnoitra, "a shame, really. You're just my type."

Nnoitra slammed his beer down, finished with it in record timing, grinning at the flirty bartender, "Oh really?"

"I have a thing for bad boys with facial hair," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "The name's Shinji. What's yours, sweetie?"

SWEETIE? Nnoitra wanted to break his jaw. Then he thought about banging the blonde in the alley behind the loud and obnoxious bar and fixed a grin to his face as he said the first name that popped into his head. He couldn't exactly use his real name when he was supposed to be under the radar, right? Why not have a little fun and take advantage of a new persona? "Gin."

Shinji laughed, sliding Nnoitra another beer, "That's sexy."

"Like me?" Nnoitra said, leaning into the side of the bar to settle closer to his catch for the night.

"Definitely," Shinji grinned before a girl at the end of the bar wearing a tight-fitting shirt and glasses yelled at Shinji to grab some drinks.

"Lisa's such a cock blocker," Shinji murmured, turning to some neglected customers and grabbing drinks with quick, practiced movements and grabbing yen off of the bar and tucking it away in one of his super-tight pants pockets, "ANYWAYS, you here for the band or for fun?"

"Both," Nnoitra replied, finally turning his head towards the crowd and staring at the band that was on stage. Yeah, there was Schif's bitch, that annoying redhead that Grimmjow had knocked out, a midget girl that was as flat as a pancake, a dark-haired and tall motherfucker, and finally, the fuckin' hot-ass albino Nnoitra hadn't managed to get off of his mind for the past couple days. They obviously hadn't talked since Byakuya's apartment for movie night, and neither had exchanged numbers. It had been a pretty cut-and-dry business deal; Nnoitra had never told him they would meet up again for the same treatment. And, considering Shirosaki had left him alone in the love hotel and how he had acted at the apartment had pretty much told Nnoitra everything he needed to know: it wasn't happening again and back the fuck off.

But Nnoitra had barely suppressed the want to tear the city apart looking for the little fucker.

Currently the redhead was screaming, the crowd worked up into a frenzy, jumping up and down in place or trying to dance. Most of the crowd was teenagers and young adults, but there were a few older people crowded around tables or against the walls, checking out the scene. Nnoitra's eye was focused on Shirosaki, who was shredding incredibly on that gorgeous guitar of his, his pale, black-nailed fingers torturing sweet music forth into the crowd. He was pretty good; it made him wonder if he could surpass Ichigo, but he doubted it. The strawberry had something, something Nnoitra was jealous of, and it wasn't fuckin' Grimmjow. Although watching Shirosaki, who already looked a hell of a lot like the strawberry, made Nnoitra wonder if this was what Shirosaki found happiness in. He looked a bit wild and crazy, but a controlled chaos that was sexy and oozed contentment.

"You know them?" Shinji said, picking up on how Nnoitra's gaze hadn't faltered from the stage.

"Nah," Nnoitra said, sipping from his second beer in under six minutes, "thought I recognized one of 'em."

"They're young, but they've got talent," Shinji said, laughing, "Wouldn't be surprised if they got as big as Espada someday."

Nnoitra snorted, impressed with the irony of the statement. Yeah, maybe someday, but not now. They had a long way to go yet, although this was probably the greatest amateur gig session Nnoitra had ever witnessed that sounded impressive live. A lot of bands could bullshit in a studio, but to perform live and sound even half decent was a sign from heaven to pursue a career. He had to admit, he hadn't expected half the talent he was hearing at the moment from the group of amateurs he had met days ago.

"When's your break?" Nnoitra asked suddenly, back to thinking about Shirosaki. Fuck that kid: he could have ass whenever and wherever he wanted. Shinji was probably a better lay anyway.

Shinji laughed, his eyes crinkling at the bold move, "I'm one of the owners. I can take a break whenever the hell I want."

Nnoitra's grin was slow, calculated, and knew it was dead-ass sexy because Shinji looked like Nnoitra had just punched him in the gut, "So take a fuckin' break."

**XXX**

"Where's Nnoi?" Ichi yelled over the music.

"Who cares?" Grimmjow shot back, his arms snaking around the berry's hips as they were pushed and shoved around the spazzing, gyrating bodies. The lights began flashing overhead, the dancers going crazy. Renji had just started up another song, the band doing fantastic. Ichigo had to admire Shirosaki's talent, even though he still felt a bit resentful that his "twin" had taken over his place so easily and seemingly effortlessly.

But he didn't have to worry about it anymore. He didn't even have the inclination to punch Renji in the face, or yell at Rukia about being a whore, or tell Byakuya to stop putting up an act because even Ichigo had picked up on Byakuya's hidden feelings for Renji nearly a year ago. Tosh was raping that drum set so amazingly Ichigo had fought tears in his eyes: the band would do perfectly well without him.

Besides, it might have had something to do with the fact that Ichigo was still on cloud nine. His family had been ridiculously accepting, his dad agreeing to come over to the apartment and start packing up some stuff to be moved back home into his old bedroom. With all the mayhem coming up in the next three weeks, Ichigo had to obviously make sure the apartment was cleared out and his shit taken care of before he took off and left the city. He had called the school's academic advisor and explained his situation, only saying that he would be going abroad and needed to take virtual examinations to complete his high school diploma. The paperwork would be worked out by Monday, and he'd continue going to classes up until the week before the Kanonji Festival since the teachers gave the students that week to study for examinations. It was all working out remarkably smoothly now that Ichigo had finally made a decision. He leaned back into his boyfriend, just enjoying the closeness as they listened to the music, both comfortable in silence.

[ **"When I Grow Up" by Mayday Parade. Cover to "When I Grow Up" by Pussycat Dolls ** ]

Renji's voice got extremely husky as the next beat started up with the drums, snapping Ichigo out of his busy mind as he grinned. Damn, they had had so much fun making fun of the American girl group that was more sex-on-legs than music. Even so, they had taken to the most popular songs and worked on them, making them "better" than they had been. Soul Society had made this song their mantra…

**They used to tell me I was silly (la la la la)….until I popped up on the t.v (ha ha ha ha)….I always wanted to be a superstar…who knew that singin' songs would get me this far? But I ain't complainin', we all wanna be famous, so go ahead and see what you wanna see. You don't know what it's like to be nameless, want 'em to know what your name is…Cuz see when I was younger I would say…!**

**When I grow up, I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies!**

**When I grow up, I wanna see the world, drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies! Be on t.v, people know me, be on magazines…!**

Ichigo couldn't help but mosh with the crowd, getting into the beat he was so familiar with. He was happy when Grimmjow began dancing along with him, both of them pumping with energy as the crowd continued to scream and sing along, recognizing the American hit almost instantly. Renji was jumping around on stage, getting into the lyrics as the other members supplied the "ha ha ha ha"s that accompanied some parts. The song began to wind down, Ichigo sufficiently glossed in sweat as he slowed his movements, Grimmjow's fingers linking with his with one hand as Ichigo closed his eyes and soaked in the final words of the song:

'**Careful what you wish for 'cuz you just might get it, you just might get it…'**

Ichigo's heart thundered in his chest as he thought about those words: fuck, they were so true. He gripped Grimmjow's hand tighter as the crowd whistled and clapped applause. Grimmjow leaned into Ichigo, just bumping shoulder-to-shoulder to his boyfriend as they stared together at the stage. Ichigo shouldn't feel so complete and happy in this situation; after all, the band he had helped create and the best friend that had stabbed him in the back were maybe thirty feet away from him, and yet he felt contentment unlike any other.

"Ya wanna drink?" Grimmjow asked into Ichigo's ear, making him shiver involuntarily.

Ichigo nodded, refusing to break their handhold as they snaked through the throngs of people who had pushed in closer to the stage. He didn't want to get separated: one, he didn't want to. Two, Grimmjow's blue hair was currently covered with a ridiculously-good-looking black wig that made Ichigo wonder if Grimmjow had ever considered dying his hair. Obviously Ichigo adored Grimmjow's natural blue mane, but damn, he couldn't stop fantasizing about his beast of a boyfriend taking him in a leather outfit with jet-black hair, making his cerulean eyes even more amazing in contrast to the darkness of the hair.

Grimmjow looked back at Ichigo as he had made a moaning sound, confused. He quirked an eyebrow at his boyfriend, who only shook his head and was red in the face.

"What'cha thinking about?" Grimmjow asked, setting a beer in front of his berry.

Ichigo knew Grimmjow was already perverted enough for the both of them; he didn't have to add fuel to the fire, "Nothin'."

**XXX**

Shirosaki had cut through the crowd like a sharp knife, bummed a cigarette from a goth teen named Shuhei and headed out through the back of the club. The heavy door literally spilled Shirosaki into the alleyway, dumpsters greeting him and a stray cat scampering away upon his arrival. Looked pretty deserted. He lit up the cigarette, blowing it out his nostrils.

Damn, how he had missed playing. It had felt fucking amazing to be on stage again, even if it had been a rickety-ass little stage. He took another drag, thankful he had pulled on his black hoodie before rushing off stage. The overhead lights and the amount of bodies had made him start to sweat, but he hadn't wanted to freeze his ass off once he got outside. It was November, and Karakura didn't fuck around with winter weather. It wasn't absolutely freezing, but Shiro had never had a high tolerance for the cold.

He was about halfway through his cigarette when he heard a high keening sound, a sound he recognized from countless nights with loud ukes. Shit, perhaps the alleyway wasn't as deserted as he had originally thought.

Low and behold, the moment Shirosaki threw his useless cigarette butt into the dirt, an extremely tall, lanky man wearing obscene amounts of leather stood up straight from behind one of the dumpsters, a smaller, blonde man yelling at him about something or other. Frankly Shirosaki didn't care; it wasn't any of his damn business that two faggots had decided to get it on in the back of a gross alleyway where any goddamn passerby could happen upon them. Shirosaki was guilty of plenty of public displays of affection, considering he had a private pension for public exposure. It made him hot as hell to fuck around in public bathrooms, offices, closets, subways, elevator shafts, pretty much anywhere. He was that kind of kinky.

"Thought'ya were used to it, Blondie," a voice sneered.

"Ya didn't have ta be that rough! Fuck, thought you were gonna tear me in half!" the little bitch whined as they made there way around the dumpster and towards the back door of the club, both stopping as soon as they noticed Shirosaki's silhouette.

"Don't mind me, boys," Shirosaki called, trying to keep sarcasm out of his tone but failing miserably, "I ain't a peeper. I'll leave if ya were plannin' a round two."

Even from this distance, Shirosaki knew the little blonde was fire engine red in the face. He slapped the taller man's shoulder before huffing something under his breath and walking past Shirosaki with his head held high, opening the door and slamming it behind him without another word.

"Touchy bitch," Shirosaki commented to the tall stranger who wasn't in the light of the single bulb that cast a light from the back door, "Don't suppose ya got a ciggy on ya?"

The man moved closer, taking a cigarette out of a pack he had had stashed in those leather pants. Shiro consciously tried not to lick his lips: he loved leather. He hadn't seen the man's face yet, but the body was pretty impressive. No wonder the blond had screamed.

He held it out. As soon as Shiro's hand reached out to take it and touched the cigarette, the man moved his face into the light, his grin huge, his sunglasses looking ridiculous in the darkness of the night, "Heyya, Snowball."

Shirosaki almost dropped the cigarette. Shit, this was the last person he had expected to see tonight. Then again, hadn't he been the last person to expect at Byakuya's apartment? The last person he had expected to even remotely know Toshiro? They were all connected in strange ways. Shiro pulled his nearly empty red cigarette lighter from his jean's pocket, lighting the cigarette nonchalantly, blowing a stream of smoke out of his nostrils again before speaking, "So I guess the credit goes ta' me."

Nnoitra had this look on his face like he had no idea what the fuck Shirosaki was talking about, "Wha the fuck ya talkin' 'bout?"

Shiro blew another stream of smoke, smirking at Nnoitra, "Ya told me yer not a faggot, that ya'd never fucked a guy before me. Looks like yer playin' on our side of the fence now, ne? Welcome ta' tha' team, Nnoi."

Even though Nnoitra felt anger at the albino's words, he felt a stirring in his gut at the sound of his name on the boy's tongue. Shirosaki had only said his name once, had never repeated it during the fucks, and this was the second time and he had already picked up on the nickname. Nnoitra liked how it rolled off of Shiro's tongue.

Nonetheless, he'd have to correct the little smart ass, "I ain't a faggot, ass hole."

Shirosaki laughed, staring Nnoitra dead in the eye as the grin never left his face, "And I ain't a fuckin' albino, Nnoi-Nnoi."

"You little shit," Nnoitra growled, looming over the stripper, "I ain't in tha' mood ta' fight, so ya better shut the hell up before I change my mind and shove my fist in 'yer face."

"We both know there are better places to shove a fist," Shiro said silkily, taking another drag of his cigarette, enjoying how Nnoitra's mouth fell in what Shiro hoped was awe. He couldn't see Nnoitra's eye thanks to the stupid sunglasses-at-night-routine, but he supposed he had said something surprising that was making Nnoitra think dirty thoughts. Like he had said earlier, he was that kind of kinky, "Anyway, we need to stop runnin' inta' each other like this. It's gettin' on my nerves."

He turned to open the door and flinched when one of Nnoitra's hands slapped against the metal door, stopping him from opening it as he leaned in against the albino's back, lowering his head so that he could speak into Shirosaki's ear, "Why don'tcha show me those places, Shirosaki?"

Shiro felt goose bumps crawl up his spine and his dick stir in his pants. Yeah, that was a problem. Very few men had a voice that turned him on, and unfortunately for him, Nnoitra was one of those goddamned men. Shiro had never heard his name on Nnoitra's tongue before; he had called him Snowball so much he had doubted Nnoitra had even known his real name. It sounded amazing on his tongue, especially in that tone of voice.

But Shiro was no begging bitch, and he wasn't about to become one either. He was always in control of himself: he was a master at driving others insane. Nobody had ever driven HIM insane. Hell no! That was NOT what Shirosaki was about: he was the perfect balance of madness and chaos: self-indulgent, self-gratifying, and seductive as sin. He had learned to be that way, had ALWAYS BEEN that way.

And no tall, dark, and annoyingly sexy man was going to make him behave any differently.

He turned slowly, a coy smile on his face as he was met with very little room between their bodies. He looked up at Nnoitra, his fingers itching to tear away those fucking sunglasses, but he stopped himself, settling for putting a finger teasingly in a belt loop of those delectable leather pants Nnoitra was wearing, "I'm sure ya'd like tha', but 'ya smell like 99 cent man whore and week-old garbage."

Nnoitra's arms were on either side of his head now, discreetly pinning him in. Shirosaki had hoped his statement would rile the tall man up, make him lose his temper. But unfortunately, Nnoitra only grinned harder at him, pressing his body in closer, his mouth hovering in front of Shirosaki's, "How 'bout showin' me in the shower, then?"

Shiro tried to ignore the thrumming in his veins and his dick's urgent protests. Wow, this guy was a smooth operator. If Shiro wasn't careful, he'd get burned. Fire always burned, no matter how careful you were with the flame, "Don't got time for you tonight. Have people expectin' me back in there for some late-night celebratin'. Sorry, pumpkin."

"Ya don't really wanna go," Nnoitra challenged, his voice low and sultry, "Yer too wild fer that. Yer too antsy: ya can't even sit still for an hour-and-a-half movie. There are more ENTERTAINING ways of spendin' yer night, Snowball."

"Stop callin' me that," Shiro warned, ready to punch the older man, "Unless you want me callin' you Cap'n OneEye, ya'd better fuckin' quit it."

"Che, didn't know ya were such a pussy," Nnoitra said, that shit-eating grin making Shiro's fingers itch to knock every tooth out of that goddamn ridiculously sexy mouth with firm, gentle lips and a tongue that would rival the devil himself. God, just thinking about that tongue on his body was making Shiro nearly tremble. His knees were going weak thinking about what that tongue had done to him several nights ago, where that tongue had been willing to go…

"Fuck," Shiro breathed, slapping himself mentally for getting so aroused when the man was a complete Neanderthal. There he was, losing his cool and sense of control because he'd managed to stumble upon the one jack ass on the face of the planet that could piss him off and turn him on at the same time, "If ya want somethin' ta bang, why don't'cha go find Blondie again, ne? Sure he's not too pissed off at you."

"Blondie was good, but not as good as you," Nnoitra said honestly.

"Of course not," Shiro said haughtily. He had his pride; the only reason he had slept with so many was because he had been extremely reckless growing up, but that was a story best saved for a better time. He studied Nnoitra a moment before settling on his mouth, that nice mouth. He had to stop thinking about Nnoitra and his damn perfect mouth…

And what the fuck? Why hadn't he noticed that before? Nnoitra's hair had been braided back, but most of it had fallen out due to what Shirosaki supposed was Blondie's aggressive fingers. But that…that was just too. Fucking. Funny.

Shirosaki's snorted laughter began, making Nnoitra angry, "Wha the fuck ya laughin' 'bout?"

Shiro swiped a tear away from his eye as he pointed a finger at Nnoitra's face, "Word of advice, Casanova: I fuckin' hate facial hair."

"Fuck it," Nnoitra growled, ripping the Mortal Combat-esque mustache off of his face with one quick jerk, holding back a howl at the pain. He smashed his lips against Shirosaki's, quieting his laughter. Nnoitra forced his tongue between Shiro's soft lips, moaning as he ravaged the younger man's smoky mouth. It wasn't exactly his favorite taste, but Nnoitra was a smoker as well, so it didn't bother him. His tongue ran over the metal stud in Shiro's tongue, causing Shiro to nearly buck against him.

Ah, so Snowball was that sensitive, huh? Nnoitra practically grinned as he smelled victory. He shoved a knee between the stripper's legs, ecstatic when the boy almost whined as his knee brushed against his jean-covered erection.

Dammit. Shirosaki battled Nnoitra's fucking unbelievable tongue, still in denial of how long and powerful it was. It was currently kicking his tongue's ass, and when Nnoitra's tongue had rubbed over his tongue ring, it had been so sexy and left a shock in the muscle, turning Shirosaki on more than he already was. As of right now, the tent condition in his jeans was almost embarrassing. He had to get away from this temptation; he had to get away from Nnoitra before he lost his mind.

He pushed away from Nnoitra, effectively breaking the kiss. He pushed Nnoitra's chest again, giving him even more breathing room, "Fuck, don't you know when no means no? I don't fuckin' want to be with you."

"Oh yes you do," Nnoitra countered, gently leaning his arms against the door again, blocking Shiro for the second or third time, "or was that moanin' and mewlin' a figment of my imagination?"

"Fuck you," Shiro spat, barely controlling himself from the need to slap the annoying bastard, "you're an ass hole. Just 'cuz ya got money and fame doesn't mean I'm gonna let ya in my pants, you stupid fuck."

"Ya took money before, why not again?"

"Cuz I'm not a fuckin' whore!" Shiro bellowed, slamming his hands against Nnoitra's chest, catching him off balance and making him take a step back, "Don't fuckin' treat me like one, ass hole! You don't fuckin' know me, you don't know anything about me! I might take my clothes off on stage for a bunch of fuckin' perverts for cash, but that's how I survive! Fuckin' come near me again and I'll-"

"That's it," Nnoitra said, grabbing Shiro's hands.

"Let me the fuck go!"

"That's IT," Nnoitra said again, louder, "I knew ya weren't a fuckin' robot. Finally see yer temper, ne? Ya got some fightin' fire in 'ya…that's hot as hell."

Shiro stopped struggling a moment, completely lost at Nnoitra's words. Yeah, he had kind of lost it. He had never lost it before. His personality was just that way: of course he could get violent and angry, but he had never defended who he was or tried to make excuses for himself. He always laughed things off or tried to make the other person more uncomfortable than he was, but he had never revealed anything about himself to somebody else before, not even his roommate. Fuck, for the first time in nearly his entire life, Shirosaki had allowed himself to be vulnerable.

Jesus Christ, how fucking scary was that?

Why did this giant jerk-off rile him up so much? It was making him so angry, yet he knew from his heart rate and his rock-hard dick that he was turned on as hell.

And had he heard right? "It's hot as hell?"

"Fuck yeah," Nnoitra murmured, his hands snaking into Shiro's silver-white hair, "You're the hottest little thing I've ever seen. I almost came in my pants when I saw you on that stage and knew I had ta have ya. Then I fucked ya, and when I woke up and ya weren't there, I wanted to hunt ya down and fuck ya again. Yer fuckin' driving me insane, Shiro, runnin' through my fuckin' skull all damn day…"

"Ass hole," Shiro replied, allowing Nnoitra's long fingers to continue to run through his spiky hair, "I haven't been fucked like that in…Jesus, EVER. My body's still healin' from that fuckin' night, but right now my body's tellin' me it fuckin' wants you! It ain't fuckin' fair! You're such an ass hole!"

Nnoitra chuckled, placing a kiss on Shiro's cussing lips, "Yer too fuckin' cute, Shiro."

"Dammit," Shirosaki suddenly whipped out his cell phone, confusing Nnoitra for a moment before he realized the boy was calling a cab.

"I ain't touchin' ya again until we're at a decent place and ya've had a fuckin' shower," Shiro commanded, shoving Nnoitra away from him as he saw the man had tried to kiss him again.

Shirosaki opened the back door of the club, the band's music obviously replaced with some techtonic track over the speakers. Shiro yelped as he felt a large hand on his ass. He spun around and glared daggers at Nnoitra before kicking him in the shin.

Nnoitra only laughed, "Ya didn't say anythin' about ME touching YOU."

**XXX**

Toshiro answered his cell phone on the third ring, considering the band had taken a step outside to get away from the loud and obnoxious drunks, "Sup?"

"Hey Iceberg," Shiro greeted, "Listen uh, do me a favor and take Tensho home for me? I gotta run got some shit to do."

"Your leaving?" Tosh's eyes went back to the bar, as if he might see the albino fighting his way through the crowds.

"I already left. Took a cab. Ya can do tha' fer me, right?" Shiro asked, not pleading or demanding at all.

"Yeah, sure," Tosh said, amazed Shirosaki had left in such a hurry as to abandon his King Fisher guitar, "We just finished packing up anyway and were about to head out for something to eat."

"I owe ya one, Iceberg," Shiro said, hanging up on him.

"Who was that?" Ulquiorra asked quietly from Tosh's side.

"Shiro had to leave. Wants me to take his guitar for the time being," Tosh sighed, pocketing his cell, "Give me a sec; I'll be right back."

About fifteen minutes later Tosh and Ulquiorra had broken off from Soul Society and were making there way back to drop off Ichigo at his apartment with Grimmjow in tow. After some farewells and requests for the couple to stay for a few more beers, Tosh and Ulquiorra headed back onto the streets, winding their way through milling late nighters and towards an all-night café. It didn't have the best food, but honestly Tosh didn't care where they were as long as they were together.

"You alright?" Ulquiorra asked quietly, his chopsticks poised over his half-eaten bowl of pork ramen.

"Hm?" Tosh looked up at him, his chopsticks had been swirling in the bowl for several minutes as he had been lost in thought.

"You look deep in thought," Ulquiorra said, staring at his boyfriend intently, "Is something wrong?"

Tosh continued to stare into those gentle green orbs, wishing his gorgeous raven hair wasn't hidden by the hoodie, but he had gone into this relationship knowing it wouldn't be easy to be in public. Damn, he hadn't really given much thought to the relationship, really. He had jumped in head first, and after the other night…

Tosh's heart was more into it than he had originally counted on. He didn't regret breaching the physical aspect of their relationship, but he was beginning to wonder if it wouldn't just hurt him in the long run. He was already feeling so many things for Ulquiorra, and knowing that Ulquiorra was famous and would be forced to leave town at any time scared the shit out of Toshiro. How was he supposed to handle knowing his boyfriend was touring all over the country, attracting thousands of screaming girls and guys alike? How could he handle seeing him on t.v. or following him in the magazines and knowing he couldn't see him or kiss him for weeks or months on end?

"Nothing," Tosh said robotically, keeping his internal reverie from spilling out, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Tosh plastered a smile, hoping his eyes weren't betraying him, "I promise."

**XXX**

Renji barged into his apartment, sufficiently plastered. He had gotten his drink on after the performance, plenty of people buying him drinks for some conversation. It had been a good deal, except for the fact that Byakuya had hovered over him like a fucking vulture and had kept him from making any scores.

Fuckin' sexy-ass, cock-blockin' son of a bitch.

"Why'd ya come with me?" Renji whined as he fell onto the couch, Byakuya trailing in quietly behind him.

"Because you're drunk," Byakuya said, taking a seat on the other side of the couch, "and you were avoiding Ichigo again."

"Didn't think he'd show," Renji murmured, his hands resting on his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling, "and he brought that blue-haired bastard with 'em. I'd know that shit-eating smirk anywhere, don't care what color his hair is."

"It looked like Ichi wanted to talk to you."

"Got nothing to say to him," Renji defended, staring at the delicious-looking boy next to him, "He didn't look mad or anything. He looked…almost happy."

"Maybe he is."

"S'not the point," Renji said, putting a hand on his forehead and rubbing his eyes, "he's supposed to be miserable, like me."

"You're miserable?"

"Pretty much," Renji sighed, "He was my best friend. Jesus, we did everything together; grew up together, broke our legs together, ate together, fuckin' everything…and now he's moving on without me, like it's nothing."

"Just talk to him again," Byakuya soothed, leaning back on the couch to get comfortable, "Ichigo obviously wants to sort things out before he leaves town. I'm sure he doesn't want to leave things the way they are."

Renji sighed: before he left? Yeah, cuz he was going to leave. Ichigo was leaving, leaving for good, and Renji had made a total ass of himself because he couldn't confront or understand his feelings. Under the influence of alcohol and confusion, Renji blurted, "I love him."

Silence. Renji hadn't expected complete silence. Finally Byakuya said, "I know."

"You do?" Renji said, sitting up and staring at Byakuya like he was a psychic, "How'd you…?"

"You love him, like a brother," Byakuya began as he stared straight into Renji's eyes, "Ichigo is the one person in your life that has always accepted you for exactly who you are; you want his attention and affection, but you don't think you know how to get it. So you were an ass and slept with his girlfriend, hoping to figure out if Ichigo would accept you regardless. Obviously he was upset, but it looks like he wants to work things out, even if it turns out not exactly how either of you expected it to. You love him, Renji, but it's not the kind of love you're going to find by sleeping with him."

"How do you know?" Renji said, his voice rising slightly, "yah, I see him like a brother, but I want him more than that. Fuck, I want him so bad sometimes…ya know Shiro? I used to fuck him when I wanted Ichigo. Isn't that sick?"

Byakuya just stared at him calmly, his stance rigid as Renji continued, laughing, "Ya get it now, Byakuya? If you're expecting something out of what you and me have going on, you'd better give up. It's just sex, only sex. I don't love you, and you don't love me, so-"

"Don't speak as if you know how I feel," Byakuya said dangerously, glaring daggers into Renji's eyes.

"So what? You love me, Byakuya? Is this the part where I run into your arms and we live happily ever after?" Renji snarked, chuckling. Fuck, he had better shut up: alcohol always made him say ridiculous things. Byakuya was a good friend, an amazing friend, and a guy that deserved better than this.

He deserved better than Renji. Much, much better. So Renji continued, "I let you fuck me a few times and now you think you love me?"

"I've loved you for years," Byakuya confided, watching Renji's eyes widen in shock, "I've always wanted you, even after watching you run to men and women alike. I've forgiven you in my heart countless times, always hoping that one day you'd realize I was always behind you, supporting you, waiting. I've never pushed you away, never denied you anything you've ever asked of me. I was so patient, Renji, and then the other night when I thought I could take full advantage of you…I snapped. And then you call me, begging me to take you, and I do. I indulged you, Renji, did what you asked, even though I knew it would only hurt me more. It seems I'm a glutton for punishment. You, Renji Abarai, are a sadistic bastard."

Renji's mouth was open as he tried to form words to attack Byakuya or at least rebuttal, but he had nothing to say. Everything Byakuya said made sense. The more Renji thought about it, the more he could see how Byakuya's words were true: Byakuya had never, ever let him down. Not even once. He was more than a friend; he was the most trustworthy and stable person in Renji's life, "Fuck."

"I have always known what I want," Byakuya said, standing up from the couch, not breaking eye contact with the redhead, "but I can't force you to want something, Renji. You have to figure that out for yourself."

Renji continued to lay on the couch as Byakuya's footsteps retreated, the door to the apartment rattling as it was closed rather forcefully.

Renji cursed under his breath, absolutely mortified that tears were threatening to spill over and down his face.

**XXX**

Ulquiorra had offered to walk Toshiro back to the dorms, Tosh not complaining as they walked through the cold late night. The temperature had to have dropped another twenty degrees since the sun went down, both of them wearing jackets, Tosh even sporting a sky blue scarf. Ulquiorra wondered how cold the Christmas season would be; it was only weeks away.

Tosh took the dorm room key out of his pocket, fidgeting with the lock for a moment before entering. It was one of the older dorms, not in the best of repair but not the worst on the campus. The room was dark. Toshiro flipped a light switch, illuminating the decent-sized space. Two beds, two desks, and a closet that looked like it had thrown up its contents made up the room. A few posters were spread around, along with plenty of Polaroid pictures taped up on the walls. It was an organized kind of messy that immediately referred Ulquiorra to it belonging to boys, but boys that still made a conscious effort of some amount of cleanliness. Tosh kicked aside a few gaming cartridges and a psychology textbook that had been splayed on the floor, a slight blush on his face, "Sorry for the mess."

"It's fine," Ulquiorra said, settling on the bed that sported dark blue sheets. He knew this was Tosh's, considering the two walls it was up against had plenty of band posters, autographs, and snapshots of Soul Society sticky-taped and pinned to the wall. Tosh took a seat next to Ulquiorra, his body rigid.

"Hanatarou visits his girlfriend on the weekends," Tosh said quietly, his fingers fidgeting with the cuffs of his jacket, "Y-you can stay over if you want."

Ulquiorra's lips turned up in a smile, "Do you want me to?"

Tosh's blush was nearly edible, "Only if you want to."

"Of course I want to," Ulquiorra said matter-of-factly, his brows pulling together as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, "Why would you think I wouldn't want to?"

"It's pretty warm in here," Tosh said, avoiding the question by standing up and removing his jacket and throwing his scarf on the ground, "I'm usually so cold, but the dorm heaters are pretty good. I can't wear all these layers…"

Tosh stopped his rambling as he felt Ulquiorra standing behind him, his hands resting on Tosh's hips.

"Tosh, talk to me," Ulquiorra said softly, dragging Tosh around to face him by pulling on his belt loops. Tosh swallowed several times, trying not to hyperventilate as he stared into Ulquiorra's eyes.

"Don't leave," Tosh blurted, tears brimming in his eyes as he tried not to shake, "Don't leave, Ulquiorra, please don't leave…"

"Tosh?" Ulquiorra's hands moved to cup his face, his lips placing gentle kisses on Tosh's forehead, lips, and cheeks, "Baby, I'm not going anywhere."

"But you will!" Tosh cried, his fingers gripping at Ulquiorra's belt loops, "You WILL leave, you'll have to! Ichigo's the lucky one; he gets to stay with Grimmjow because of his talent, but I have to stay behind! I can't follow you, Schif, and you can't stay behind with me. I'm holding you back, and, and…"

Tosh was horrified: damn, he had never cried like this before. He began sobbing into Ulquiorra's jacket, effectively wetting it in record time. Ulquiorra's arms gripped him tightly, pulling him back slightly to stare down at him. He lifted Tosh's chin to meet him for a kiss, distracting Tosh from his crying.

"You should just break up with me," Tosh murmured after the kiss, pushing against Ulquiorra's chest, "I'd get it, I'd understand…"

"I can't stay away from you," Ulquiorra reassured, distracting Toshiro with another kiss and roaming hands, "I'll always come back for you, Tosh. I love you, you know that."

"Mmmm," Tosh whined, unzipping Ulquiorra's hoodie and trying to push it off of Ulquiorra's shoulders. Ulquiorra allowed it, still kissing him fervently as they both began to disrobe. Ulquiorra unbuttoned Tosh's belt buckle as Toshiro flung his own shirt over his head, latching onto Ulquiorra at the same time Ulquiorra had been working on his light green shirt. Hands roamed naked chests as tongues sought Nirvana in each other's mouths, both unsurprised when their weight hit the bed. Tosh was soon straddling Ulquiorra's hips, making him grunt. Tosh's fingers ghosted over Ulquiorra's pectorals and down his abs before quick fingers unlatched the button on Ulquiorra's jeans and undid the zipper, effectively revealing the straining erection both knew was there.

"Tosh," Ulquiorra whispered as Tosh's fingers wrapped around Ulquiorr'a straining cock.

"It's your turn to just feel," Tosh declared, his hot breath making Ulquiorra's cock twitch. Soon that hot mouth was licking the head hesitantly before sticking his tongue in the sensitive slit of the crown. Ulquiorra's back arched at the contact, a moan escaping as Tosh began to trace the largest pulsing vein, his hands stroking in a pace he had set for himself. To Ulquiorra, it was sweet, unexpected torture.

But when Tosh's throat closed around most of Ulquiorra's cock, Ulquiorra's fingers twined in that icy white hair, barely able to control the urge to thrust up into that hot, eager mouth. Ulquiorra watched with lust-filled eyes as the small white head began to bob up and down, taking him as deep into his throat as he could manage. A few more minutes of this, and Ulquiorra couldn't take it anymore.

He pulled Tosh's head up, a line of spit running from his mouth to Ulquiorra's cock, his blue eyes hazy, his cheeks flushed. Ulquiorra flipped him over, both groaning when their cocks grazed against each other, the friction feeling incredible. Ulquiorra pulled Tosh's pants and boxers down, exposing his dripping need.

"Ah, Ulquiorra…" Tosh husked, his face and neck flushed as he tried to breathe. Ulquiorra quickly prepared him, not sure he could restrain himself for much longer. He didn't want to hurt Tosh, but he was within an inch of losing his mind. He wanted to be buried inside of Tosh right. The fuck. Now.

"The…drawer," Tosh drawled, his hand flying out to his side to slap against the small dresser. Ulquiorra reached out a long hand to rummage through the top drawer, his fingers grazing a small, skinny bottle. He pulled it out, not even reading the label as he slathered it over his fingers and began to prep Tosh's entrance, the scent heady and intoxicating. Raspberry.

When he had finally managed three fingers in and Tosh was thrusting back against the fingers, Ulquiorra knew it was time. He spread Tosh's legs more effectively, positioning himself at Toshiro's entrance and slid in with one, quick motion. Tosh's back arched and he nearly yelled, both of them shaking as they adjusted. Ulquiorra didn't even wait for Tosh's encouragement before moving, setting a brutal pace almost immediately. He had to. He had to, he had to fill Tosh up, make him believe he'd always come back, always want more, always want Tosh more than anything else. This was the only way, this was the only way…

"F-fuh, huh – ah," Tosh mewled beneath him, his arms reaching blindly for his boyfriend. His eyes were glazed over, reaching for Ulquiorra's neck, twining them there and refusing to let go as Ulquiorra kissed him tenderly, teeth beginning to bite at lips as sweat-slicked bodies fought each other on the dark blue sheets.

Tosh's hips worked furiously against Ulquiorra, making him moan deep in his throat, a black-nailed hand reaching out to grab Tosh's neglected weeping cock. A few strokes and Tosh was screaming Ulquiorra's name as he came.

"Sch-Schif," Tosh whined, his entire body trembling as his toes curled. Ulquiorra came seconds later, riding out his own orgasm by pumping into Toshiro a few more times before pulling out with a pop. He gathered Toshiro up in his arms, moving over so they could both breathe comfortably, Ulquiorra's face practically buried in Tosh's hair as he began to rain soft kisses down his neck and shoulder.

"I love you," Ulquiorra husked, his fingers possessive as they wrapped around Toshiro's still-trembling body.

"Nnn," Tosh said, turning over in Ulquiorra's arms to face him and give him kisses all over his face, "me too. I love you too..."

Ulquiorra possessed his mouth again, his teeth nipping at Tosh's bottom lip as he snuggled in against Toshiro, their warm bodies molded together perfectly as Ulquiorra pulled the covers over them.

God, how he would dream about these moments with Toshiro. Ulquiorra tried to memorize the feel of Tosh's skin against his, the heat, the breathing, the heartbeat. Everything had to be committed to memory, because very soon he wouldn't have Tosh in his bed. Soon, he'd be traveling the country, absolutely miserable because Tosh couldn't be with him. He'd beg Grimmjow to let him fly back as often as possible. He had money. He had plenty of money, so he didn't care how much it would cost to see his boyfriend, or even fly his boyfriend out to see him for that matter.

It would work out. It had to. It absolutely had to.

**XXX** **Two Weeks Later.**

Ichigo stared around the empty apartment, trying to wrap his mind around the changes in his life. It was a lot to take in, a lot to swallow. There were only a few more boxes to take care of: he hadn't owned a lot to begin with, and Karin had gone through most of his stuff that she had said would be worth money someday. Ichigo had grinned at that: his little sister had turned into an internet meglomaniac. He had no doubt in his mind she would be making mad money off of his old clothes and memorabilia. It was flattering.

A few boxes he had wanted to keep, so of course his dad had said they could store everything back in his old bedroom. Everything else had been given to friends or shoved off to charity. Tosh had been extremely excited to receive his t.v, "on loan" according to him.

Ichigo had worked his final day yesterday at Urahara's shop. Ururu had cried all over him while Jinta had threatened him that he'd better remember where he had come from when he got all big and famous. Urahara had smiled and shook his hand, telling him mysteriously that he'd be seeing him much more in the future. Ichigo hadn't known how to react to that, but he knew Urahara was a good man. He had been sad to say goodbye to such good friends and coworkers.

So here he stood, staring at the place he had called home for the past year. A place he had bitched and moaned in, swearing to himself how he'd get out of Karakura someday, make something of himself, do something with his life.

But seeing it empty…it made a lump grow in Ichigo's throat. He really was leaving. It really was happening. This wasn't a dream he was going to wake up from: he was going to pursue something so much bigger than him, something that led somewhere he had always craved and had never given a name to.

Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, a bit of sweat beginning to accumulate on his forehead from moving boxes downstairs. Isshin had brought the car over to pick up the final boxes, and Grimmjow had agreed to help, "You okay?"

Ichigo nodded, "It's strange, but it's…good."

Grimmjow grinned, wrapping an arm around Ichigo's shoulders and pulling him in for a quick kiss on the cheek, "Come on, let's get cleaned up. We got a party to get to."

Ichigo grinned: it wasn't exactly a party. Well, it was, but it was a promotional party for the Kanonji Festival, a VIP event that would introduce Ichigo to the new world he had emerged himself in. It would give him a chance to meet with some executives and other managers, and he'd be meeting the president and vice president of Yoruichi Entertainment, the newest partner in promotion for Espada. There was a tight knot in his gut, but an excitement that overruled the nervousness, like black swallow butterflies were beating around in his chest.

Grimmjow grabbed his hand and walked him to the front door, holding the door open for him to walk through first. Ichigo took a deep breath, not wanting to look back. No more looking back. Not anymore.

He walked through, feeling free when he heard Grimmjow close the apartment door behind him for the final time.

**LONGEST CHAPTER EVER! It's official: 21 pages on my word document ~wipes sweat off of forehead~ I'm so tired. Please let me know what you loved, what you hated, and what you see in store for the future ** **~TPP**


	21. Author's Note :D

HEY EVERYBODY! :D

So this is a little note to let you all know that I am taking a teeny-tiny break from Bands & Berries.

Now before you all start charging at me with torches and pitchforks, let's pretend like this story is an anime. And what does anime have? SEASONS! Yes, that's right! SEASONS! Or like manga: it's annoying, but you usually have to wait for the next volume, or the next scanlator to stick it up online for your greedy fangirl/fanboy eyes! :D

I wanted to warn everybody, considering I tend to update fairly frequently (as in once/twice a week). I know this doesn't make you feel any better, but a comment from a friend of mine went a little like this: "Wow, this sounds like a great cliffhanger for the end of a season." And I said, "…Really? Yay! A bit of vacation time to think up new, exciting ideas!"

And I'm sorry, but I'm pretty drained right now, and I have some ideas, but I want a definite direction, and I'm still trying to work out exactly how I want things to go down. I write as I go, but I'm planning a little ahead on this, so don't think I'm not doing anything, I'm still writing!

Sometimes you just need a break from a story for just a little bit to clear your head. So I started a new fic! :D

You'll all be happy to know it is a Grimm/Ichi with possible other pairings, but I'm not revealing them yet cuz that would take away all my fun! ^_^

So while you all hate me and loathe my very existence for doing this to you (because if one of the stories I was following did this to me, I'd be making a voodoo doll) please feel free to check out my new fic, **Tear It Up**. It was originally romance/humor, but I had to change it to romance/drama, although some people have told me it is still funny, but I was in a bad mood and feeling extremely angst-y…but I am definitely going back to what I like to call Fluffy Time! So don't get too depressed if you decide to read it ^-^''

ANYWAYS, I'm rambling. I would appreciate it if you would check it out and let me know what you think, and I promise a new chapter of Bands & Berries no later than September 1st, because that is after my first week of classes and I should be feeling bored and not wanting to do homework! :D

MUCH THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! I appreciate each and every one of you for supporting me thus far! ~Bows~

-TPP


	22. The Cat's Out of the Bag

[INSERT AWESOME OPENING MUSIC HERE]

**HERE YOU GO, GUYS! SEASON TWO IS HERE! Never thought the story would get this far, so I'm pumped and I hope you guys enjoy it! :')**

Chapter 21: The Cat's Out of the Bag

Ichigo tugged on his tie, loosening it to make himself more comfortable. He was not one for formal wear, so he was quite nervous about the corporate party.

"Ya didn't have to dress up," Grimmjow said silkily, his fingers running over the black skinny tie, "We don't have a hoity-toity image to uphold. Only Aizen wears the suits, but I gotta admit, I'm liking this look on you, Ichi."

Ichigo blushed: his father had helped him pick out the powder grey suit that fit him like a glove, a white collared undershirt to make him feel more comfortable and a black skinny tie to finish it off. Karin had given him a thumb's up and Yuzu had started crying, saying embarrassing shit that usually was reserved for mothers, like "you look so handsome!" and "you're just growing up so fast!" And of course Isshin had gotten bleary-eyed and hugged him, saying how attractive his beautiful son was and how he was ready to take on the world. Ichigo had bared it the best he could, completely embarrassed but excited at the same time.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Grimmjow smirked at him, looking delectable as usual in charcoal-grey jeans and a baby blue collared shirt that only accentuated his cobalt blue eyes and ridiculously sexy natural blue hair.

Grimmjow's hand had slipped to caress one of Ichigo's ass cheeks, and Ichigo slapped his hand away, "What did I tell you, Grimm?"

Grimmjow huffed, running a hand through his hair and smoothing it back off of his forehead, "No hanky-panky in the elevator."

Ichigo nodded once, as if pleased Grimmjow remembered the conversation they had had in the car on the way to the event.

Grimmjow's leer didn't bode well as Ichigo stared at him, right before he planted an innocent kiss on his boyfriend's lips, "At least not until _after_ the party."

Ichigo's blush had consumed his entire face when the elevator pinged open on the top floor of the swank building, a hundred or so beautiful people and corporate officials mingled with champagne and other alcoholic beverages. Nnoitra was already there, currently swigging down whatever the busty bartender had given him, a grinning Shirosaki at his side. It was comical how they were dressed so similarly: black jeans, black collared shirts with white ties. Jesus, it was like those horror stories Ichigo had heard about American couples who tried to dress identical when they went out, as if they had to announce to the world that they were an item.

He had to admit, it was fucking cute as hell though. Shirosaki had hung out with Ichigo a few times in the past few weeks as they all prepared for the Kanonji Festival. He had even helped Ichigo move most of his shit out of the apartment in preparation for leaving. They'd bonded a bit and had become quick friends, Ichigo not resentful or nearly as upset about Shiro replacing him in Soul Society as he had originally been. Everything was smoothing itself out the more Ichigo prepared to leave, and he was grateful for that. The only person that was really left to smooth things over with was Renji, and he had plans to get a hold of him at the Kanonji Festival before performance time, or after it. Whichever, because Espada was leaving the city the day after the festival, and Ichigo didn't want to leave things the way they were.

Shirosaki had just noticed the two lovebirds had just deposited themselves into the room before making his way over and bumping fists with Ichigo and Grimmjow, "Sup, boys? Hope 'ya don't mind I got invited 'ta yer lil' shindig. Nnoi said he wouldn' come unless I agreed 'ta."

"Yah, he would say something like that," Grimmjow grunted, bumping shoulders with Ichigo (well, sort of, considering Ichigo was several inches shorter than his boyfriend) and asked, "Wanna drink?"

"A vodka-cran," Ichigo said, ready to get something into his system to calm his nerves.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow like he was about to say something about the feminine drink when Ichigo blurted, "Make it Goose, ass hole." Ichigo didn't see anything wrong with liking a strong vodka with a sweet juice. In his opinion, it was the perfect balance.

Grimmjow chuckled and made his way to the bar, "Rum 'n Coke for me, and a cranberry n' goose fer the little lady."

The bartender with the huge tits giggled and made the drinks while Ichigo cussed Grimmjow out in his head. He'd show Grimmjow what a _little lady_ could do in bed. Grimmjow should know better, considering he had bottomed again and Ichigo had made him actually scream this time. Ichigo was smirking just thinking about it, Grimmjow slick with sweat and panting and groaning and moaning and finally screaming "ICHIGO!" at the tops of his lungs as he brought them both over to the other side of pure ecstasy…

Yah, he'd make Grimmjow eat that comment later.

With that thought firmly in mind, Ichigo could turn his mind back to Shirosaki's ramblings and the mingling that was beginning to take place with the other guests. Ichigo hugged Toshiro when he showed up with Ulquiorra in tow, looking as bored as ever but there was an air of contentment about him with Toshiro glued to his side like a lifeline. Thankfully Tosh had dressed up as well, wearing a very posh black tuxedo which made his white frosty hair stand out like a burning flame. The punk balanced with refinement very well. Ulquiorra had worn a Chinese-style garment that consisted of BLEACH-white long pants and a white top that sported coattails and a high neck. It would probably look odd on anybody else, but Ulquiorra's slender strong body pulled it off. Ichigo faintly remembered an ad for a Chinese fashion show in Beijing that Ulquiorra had been commissioned for. Sometimes Ichigo was so wrapped up in Grimmjow that he forgot how attractive the other band mates were.

Stark and Halibel were talking quietly in one corner, many of the guests ogling them. Stark was dressed simply in Ichigo's opinion, probably the most simle of all the guests in rippled white jeans and a white collared shirt that was left half-unbuttoned, revealing the top of a toned, muscular chest and of course his amazing shark tooth necklace. His brown hair was swept back lazily away from his face, half pulled up and half down. Halibel, on the other hand, was wearing an incredibly tight white dress that accentuated all of her delicious curves and silver wedge heels that were at least eight inches high. Ichigo thought she was drop-dead gorgeous, even if he was gay. Apparently other people did to, because they kept sneaking glances at the couple. Well, Ichigo couldn't support that theory, other than that they seemed to have a close commaraderie lately and he suspected that they had gotten back together, even if it was just physical. Grimmjow had shrugged it off and all Nnoitra could do was leer, so Ichigo had dropped it. It didn't matter if they were or weren't, but the body language between the two bothered him.

Aizen was in another corner in his standard white suit, chatting with a dark-skinned woman in a skin-tight black dress with brilliant, large cat-like eyes. They were shiny, intelligent, and for some reason intimidated Ichigo. Strong, confident women always seemed to. Ichigo thought it was rad that she sported purple hair, although it was pulled up in a way that screamed hardcore money. A stylist had probably put her together; Ichigo wondered if she was a model.

"Ichi!" a childlike voice sing-songed, running into his legs and nearly making him fall over.

"Bubblegum head?" Ichigo murmured, staring at the giggling, pink-haired little girl.

"Yachiru!" a sharp, female voice said. Ichigo looked over to see a slender, short woman with short black hair step through the crowd, wearing a beautiful but simple black dress with long, black gloves that went to her elbows. The gloves were cut so that her fingers were free. She was quite beautiful, but the commanding way in which she carried herself made Ichigo nervous. She kept walking until she was a few feet away from Ichigo and the little gang that had come together, "What have I told you about being polite? Apologize for running into him in such a rude manner."

"Yes, mommy," Yachiru sighed, looking up at Ichigo with a wide smile, "Gomenasai, Ichigo-niichan."

"I-it's okay," Ichigo said, surprised the little pink head had addressed him as a brother. Didn't she already have one? Shuhei? The hot Goth who had checked him out at Zaraki's a few weeks before? "No harm done."

"Where is your useless father?" the woman muttered as Yachiru jumped into her arms. The un-named woman balanced Yachiru's weight on one of her hips, her eyes scanning the room until they settled on Zaraki. He must have just arrived to the party, because he already looked like he wanted to leave. His hair wasn't spiked today, but it was down around his face and was quite attractive. A black eye patch was over his eye, a black pinstriped suit fitted to him like a glove despite his incredible broad shoulders and tall stature. It seemed every time Ichigo ran into him, he was dressed like a well-groomed pimp or Yakuza leader.

"Kenpachi," the little woman scorned as Zaraki sighed, "Your daughter seems to have a new Neanderthal technique of running into people in greeting. What are you going to do about that?"

"Do we really have to discuss that here, Soi Fon?" Zaraki said, leaning down and placing a kiss on her temple, "Please, let's relax and have a good time.

"Fine," Soi Fon retorted, placing Yachiru in Kenpachi's arms as she giggled and climbed onto his shoulder like the little monkey Ichigo had thought she was. She was cute though, her hair pulled up into spiral-y pigtails and a glittery pink dress that matched her light-pink hair, "Come on, Kenny! Let's go find Whitey-chan!"

"Yachiru, what have I told you about calling Ukitake-san something so informal?" Soi Fon berated, following Kenpachi as he sighed again and walked back into the milling crowd.

"Whoa," Ichigo murmured, watching the family disappear, "_She's _Kenpachi's wife? I was expecting someone…more hardcore."

"She's little, but she's a commanding officer for the Bureau of Citizen Safety," Grimmjow mumbled, taking a sip of his drink, "a lot of spunk packed into a small package. Zaraki's putty in her hands."

Ichigo shook his head, completely surprised.

But that wasn't the only surprise of the evening. Ichigo was introduced to Yoruichi, the cat-eyed woman with purple hair he had seen earlier talking to Aizen.

"Well well, you're sure cuter than they made you out to be," Yoruichi said grinning, "and you've got some talent, kid. Listened to the demo Szayel gave me. I'm definitely pumped about you being a member. The Kanonji Festival will be a great official debut. Everybody's buzzing about the strawberry stud."

Ichigo snorted at the use of her term 'stud'. He had never thought of himself as such, "Thanks, ma'am."

"Oh please," Yoruichi said, rolling her eyes and putting an arm around Ichigo, "call me Kitty, all my personal friends do. Or, if that sounds too kinky for you, feel free to call me Yoruichi."

Ichigo was blushing furiously at this point, not knowing what to say to the forward woman when she started laughing along with Grimmjow, "He's cute, Grimm. I like him. He's careful with his words."

"With you maybe," Grimmjow said, grunting when Ichigo elbowed him in the side.

"Now if only my useless Vice President would show up…" she huffed, draining the last of her champagne and scanning the room with heated eyes, "He swore he would be here to greet you, and I have yet to see him make an appearance. He's such a child, really, but there's no one more fit for the job. We've been business partners for…for a long time. God, I feel old just thinking about it."

"You're not old," Ichigo commented, studying her youthful appearance, "You're so young to be running such a huge corporation."

Yoruichi smirked, kissing Ichigo on the cheek while laughing, "Strawberry, I'm old enough to be your mother, a hot mother, but still, doesn't change the fact that I'm well into my forties. Zaraki and I graduated in the same class back in the day. You're sweet, though, like your name."

Grimmjow decided to test Ichigo's patience as soon as Yoruichi was out of earshot, distracted by another man who had wanted her opinion about the upcoming festivities scheduled for spring.

"You guys want to get a room?" Grimmjow teased into Ichigo's ear as Ichigo stepped on his foot and made him grunt in discomfort.

"Don't be an ass," Ichigo said back, draining the rest of his drink, "I'm serious. She looks like she belongs in college."

"That's what money can do," Grimmjow said, shrugging.

Grimmjow cursed as a female hand slapped him upside the back of the head, Yoruichi having materialized behind him seemingly from nowhere, "I heard that."

**XXX**

Ichigo was laughing with the band and their dates when everybody was called to attention by Aizen. He gave his whole spiel about how the Kanonji Festival the following day was an event unlike any other,_ blah blah blah_. Thank you to all the sponsors, _blah blah blah_. Espada is extremely honored and excited to be in cooperation with Yoruichi Entertainment, _blah blah_. The upcoming tour would show them all to a bright and glorious future together as business partners, _blahbety blah blah shut the fuck up Aizen you talk too much you self-righteous bastard, _blah.

"And special thanks to the President and CEO of Yoruichi Entertainment, Miss Yoruichi herself," Aizen said, gesticulating with his hand at the cat woman as she bowed gracefully in her dress, managing to look sexy and powerful at the same time, "and the Vice President and chairman of the entertainment board, Mr. Kisuke Urahara."

There was another smattering of applause as Ichigo's head shot up, his eyes the size of dinner plates as Urahara looked up from his sake cup. He had been hiding at the bar, but now that he turned around, Ichigo understood why he hadn't seen him. Urahara had cleaned up nicely, not in his usual pajama get-up. Even his spiffy, old man striped hat was missing. He wore a fitted hunter green suit with a collared white undershirt, a mint green tie tucked in and making him look sophisticated. He even had gold cuff links, the little bastard! Ichigo felt his heart go into his throat as he set his eyes on Urahara's face, which was actually clean-shaven for once, his unruly blonde hair styled simply but effectively. He didn't look like a man in his thirties at all, his cool grey eyes settling on Aizen before moving around the room and finding Ichigo.

Suddenly, the cool and mysterious vibe was shattered, replaced with a laughing, waving Urahara, "Heyya, Ichi_goooo~ _Long time, _no see~_!"

**Sorry it's so short, but I have plans! I didn't want to try and shove the entire festival performance(s) in here! I love Urahara he's so cool! I alternate between drooling over Gin, Grimmjow, and Urahara ~drools some more~ Also, if you're bored while waiting for more B&B, I would love it if you would check out my other plot-bunny-babies, Tear It Up and the newest inspiration from my girl Racey that got challenged to me, Damn That Demon. I'm having a lot of fun jugling all of these projects, but please be patient with me! I'm trying to juggle life too! ;P PLEASE REVIEW I'd love to hear all of your comments!** ~TPP


	23. LOL

Just letting everybody know that I am having a really hard time with Bands & Berries right now. It's a long story of writer's block and unsure decisions, so I have been focusing on a new story, Tell Me Tomorrow. I'll be working on that until I can clear my head enough to release a worthy chapter of Bands & Berries. Sorry for making you wait and sorry for the crappy explanation, but I can't force myself to write complete bullshit and be happy with the outcome. So, please bare with me as I try to sort it out and I hope you check out my other stories.

Until then, ja ne. –TPP


	24. Taking A Step Forward

**Bands & Berries**

**Chapter 24: Taking a Step Forward**

The screaming was deafening. Renji ran a hand through his long lightning red locks, nervous as hell. He'd left it down today, not in the mood to have it all gelled and spiked up in his usual ponytail. The whole band was on edge, but it was to be expected. This was it. This was the Kanonji Festival. This is what they had been waiting an entire year to do, to show Karakura what they were made of.

Renji looked over at a stoic Byakuya, a Byakuya that hadn't talked to him since that disastrous night in Renji's apartment. Byakuya's words were literally haunting him, making him slowly lose his mind. Of course Byakuya had to nod his head or offer a grunt of encouragement or discouragement as they had tried to pick the two songs they were allowed to play for the festival, but it was as if the man were made of ice and Renji didn't know how to melt it. He wanted Byakuya back: he wanted HIS Byakuya back.

He just wanted things to be how they used to be.

But that wasn't true. He didn't want things to be how they used to be. Before…before Renji started messing around with him. He'd always been so set on Ichigo that he had never even considered the possibility that somebody was going through the exact same thing he himself had been experiencing. He'd been wrong. He'd been cold and uncaring and unfeeling. He'd been a child, a selfish, petulant child that had thrown a tantrum because he didn't get his way.

He had to change that. He had to make it better, but he didn't know how.

"We're up next," Tosh said, scaring Renji enough to make him flinch. Shit, the little fucker was quiet as fuck to have sneaked up on him like that.

Tosh's aqua eyes seemed to study Renji's face, something Renji hated. His face was always an open book to his closest friends.

"So, Byakuya," Tosh said conversationally and making Renji stiffen, "You gonna make up with him or what?"

"W-what? What're you talking about?"

Tosh rolled his eyes, "Oh nothing. Only that he's been in love with you for years and you've made a complete ass out of yourself, now you're acting like a broody teenage chick because you're stubborn. He's stubborn too, so one of you is going to have to man up and fix this before you drive me and Rukia crazy."

Renji looked over at Byakuya who was sitting quietly next to his sister who was currently wearing a Chappy the Bunny shirt and black tights with clunky-looking boots. She made eye contact with him for barely a second, but Renji got the message loud and clear: 'Come on, bastard. Just do something already!'

Tosh's eyebrow was crooked, "No risk, no reward, Abarai. Aren't you the one that's always saying that?"

"It's COMPLICATED," Renji spluttered, running a hand through his hair again, "You guys don't fucking get it, alright? You might have a perfect little relationship going on with that emo kid, but the rest of the world doesn't work like that. It's fucked up, okay?"

Instead of looking offended, Tosh looked thoughtful, "Ulquiorra and I are far from perfect. He's leaving the day after tomorrow and I've never done a long distance relationship. Ever. I'm scared out of my mind, Renji, so don't tell me stupid shit like that. You've got somebody that loves you that lives barely ten minutes away, and you're letting him slip away because you're an idiot who's scared to actually care about somebody as much as they care about you."

The roars of the crowd grew to a crescendo as the previous band announced that they were out for the day, and they clomped backstage, giving each other high fives.

"WAHAHAHAHA!" a gleeful man laughed into the speakers on stage, "Weren't they GREAT, EVERYBODY? Give it up for All The King's Horses one more time! BAHAHAHAHA!"

There was a smattering of applause and whistles and Renji suddenly felt like all his energy had been pushed into his stomach.

Shirosaki appeared out of nowhere, hugging Toshiro from behind and making him splutter and blush, "Come on, gang! We're up next, ne?"

Byakuya and Rukia stood and came closer while Shirosaki ruffled Tosh's hair and punched Renji on the shoulder, "We're gonna rock their fuckin' faces off. Let's do this. I didn't practice 'till my fingers bled for nothin', right?"

Renji couldn't help but smile back, "We're gonna do this. We're gonna win, guys. I know it."

Everybody nodded, even Byakuya, his steel eyes set on Renji and Renji gulped as they listened to Don Kanonji announce them.

"EVERYBODY PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER for…SOUL SOCIETY!"

Deafening. Pretty fucking deafening. They came around the side of the massive stage, the setting sunlight glaring and blinding them for a few minutes as they found their places on stage, Tosh quickly adjusting the drum set and running his sticks quickly over every drum and snare, the crowd still worked up. While the rest of the band adjusted amps and tuned, Renji went straight to the microphone stand, grabbing it roughly and smiling out at the massive crowd. How many people were here? A thousand? Two thousand?

"How ya all doin'?" Renji called softly, earning thunderous screams and whistles, "Yah? Then let's keep this party goin', ne?"

Renji smiled maniacally as they screamed back, some already jumping in place. God, this was an adrenaline rush unlike any other. The nervousness was flying out the window.

Renji turned to his band, getting nods and a thumb's up from Rukia, "Count us out, Tosh."

Tosh grinned at him before slamming his sticks together above his head, counting them out to ten like they were used to.

"This one's for my best friend, Strawberry," Renji called into the microphone, hoping the Espada were out there somewhere. He couldn't see everything because of the glowing sunlight washing over the stage, but he hoped they weren't holed up in a fancy trailer somewhere, waiting to give the encore performance. They'd opened the festival and security had had their hands full trying to keep the screaming fan girls and boys from mobbing the stage. They'd performed three songs, and then Grimmjow had offered to give them an encore if they stuck around for the entire festival. A lot of people usually came for an hour or two, but after that announcement, Renji was positive that not a single person had left the festival grounds.

**["The Older I Get" by Skillet]**

"The walls between…you and I…" Renji began, "always pushing us apart, nothing left but scars, fight after fight…"

The crowd was still whistling, some swaying to the slower beat that Soul Society wasn't used to. Most of their songs were very high in energy, and although this song did have a lot of energy, it was a calmer energy, and Renji wasn't about to waste it.

"I was sittin' there waiting in my room for you, and you were waiting for me too, and it makes me wonder…

The older I get, will I get over it? Spendin' way too long for the times we missed, I didn't know that it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get, maybe I'll get over it, spendin' way too long for the times we missed, I still can't believe that it hurts like this…"

Renji moved the microphone, "The time between those cutting words, built up our defenses, made no sense just made me hurt…Do you believe…time heals all wounds? Started getting better but it's easier not to fight when I'm not with you. I was sitting there waiting in my room for you, and you were waiting for me too, and it makes me wonder…"

The crowd was screaming, jumping and dancing as Renji got into it, carrying it into the chorus, gripping the mic stand so hard that he thought he might break it, "What were you waiting for? This could have been the best we've ever had…The older I get, will I get over it? Spendin' way too long for the times we missed, I didn't know that it would hurt like this. But I think…the older I get, maybe I'll get over it, spendin' way too long for the times we missed, I still can't believe it hurts like this…hurt's like this! I'm just getting older, I'm not getting over you, trying to! Wish it didn't hurt like this…spendin' way too long for the times we missed, I still can't believe it hurts…like…this…"

Renji took a deep breath, feeling sweat slide down his chest and back, his hair already getting damp from the harsh setting sunlight and the humidity. The crowd was screaming, demanding more, so of course the band was going to give them what they asked.

"Ready for one more?" Renji asked, getting deafening responses. Renji walked to the other side of the stage, some fans even trying to grab at him. He turned and looked at Byakuya a second, just a second, and Byakuya looked back at him, like REALLY looked at him. Renji looked away.

But he wanted to do this. He HAD to, didn't he? He was a shitty talker, always had been, but singing…singing was different. Singing…he could say anything…anything he wanted…

"Our next song is fairly new," Renji said, making his way back across the stage, Shirosaki grinning like a deranged hyena. Only Shirosaki had known about this, as Renji had needed him to complete the song to what he'd originally planned. The rest of the band was expecting to play something else, but Renji…he just had to do it, and he couldn't have let Byakuya in on it. Of course the rest of the band knew how to play the song, but having it sprung on them last second like this…

"It's called 'Breathe Into Me'," Renji said, looking back at his band who were staring at him with wide eyes, all except for Shirosaki, of course, "And I'm gonna need a little help from my lead guitarist, Shiro."

Shirosaki laughed, positioning himself at the only other mic stand on stage, his guitar poised and ready. He looked at Renji with those unusual eyes, purring into the microphone, "Absolutely, Renji-kun. Anything for our fearless leader."

Girls screamed at the seductive voice and Renji knew there would be some serious competition to remain the sex symbol of Soul Society.

Renji looked back out at the crowd who were starting to die down and get restless, waiting. Renji took a breath, feeling a flood of confidence as his belly filled with butterflies, "When I wrote this song, I didn't even know what the hell I was trying to say, but now I do. I hope you guys get something out of it too, because it took one of my closest friends and some harsh words to get me to understand that I'm a selfish bastard."

Renji didn't look back at Byakuya. He couldn't. If he did, he didn't know if he'd be able to sing, so he kept looking at the crowd, then lifted a hand and slammed it to the side, "Hit it, Tosh."

Tosh counted them out, the beat starting up immediately.

**['Breathe Into Me' by Red]**

This song was new, but it gave Renji all kinds of energy. He was all over the mic stand, banging his head as he took a deep breath, "And this is how it feels when I, Ignore the words you spoke to me, and this is where I lose myself, when I keep running away from you (RUNNING AWAY FROM YOU!)…and this is who I am when...I don't know myself anymore, and this is what I choose when, It's all left up to me."

Shirosaki was doing a great job with the screaming in the background. Shirosaki wasn't necessarily the greatest singer, but he was able to do the screaming that Renji needed as he wasn't exactly the greatest screamer on the face of the planet. Shirosaki managed to keep shredding on the guitar as Renji sang, adding the screaming when needed:

"BREATHE your life into me, I can't feel you, I'm falling…falling faster!….Breathe your life into me, I still need you, I'm falling (falling, falling)…falling, breathe into me! Breathe into me! (BREATHE)!"

"And this is how it looks when, I am standing on the edge, and this is how I break a part, when I finally hit the ground (FINALLY HIT THE GROUND!)!"

It was going beautifully, no mistakes so far. Renji closed his eyes, completely losing himself to the lyrics and their meaning, hoping Byakuya understood.

"Breathe your life into me, I can't feel you, I'm falling…falling faster! Breathe your life into me, I still need you I'm falling…falling breathe into me. Breathe your life into me….! I'm falling…falling faster! Breathe your life into me…falling, falling, falling…breathe into me! Breathe into me! Breathe into me! (BREATHE INTO ME!) BREATHE!"

To close it, Shirosaki screamed the last word, the stage going quiet as the audience practically lost their minds. They were still jumping in place. Renji noticed a mosh pit had started to the far east side of the stage, a couple of security guys trying to break up the rowdy teenagers. Girls screamed, guys screamed, clapping…chanting…

Renji ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. God, this is what he wanted for the rest of his life.

**XXX**

They'd been backstage at the time, all of them, even Nnoitra when Soul Society had taken the stage. Aizen had insisted that they remain in their private black tour bus that had all the makings for an episode of MTV Cribs, but the band had gotten bored and restless. Besides, they loved to hear music as much as they liked to create it, so Grimmjow had decided they could just chill out in the back of the main stage and check out the rest of the competition. Ichigo had been taking a sip from a water bottle when he had heard Renji's voice say 'Strawberry' and had practically choked on his water as the song started up.

Damn, Ichigo didn't know what to think as the song played out, a song that they had written together. Shit. Ichigo couldn't help but smirk at the chorus lines, thinking of all the fun and not fun times he'd had with the stupid pineapple head. All the parties they'd gone to, all the terrible jokes, all the slaps on the back of the head and the long nights staying up and talking about absolutely meaningless things.

Fuck, he missed his best friend. The anger and resentment had been waning recently, Ichigo had noticed, but he had still felt a sense of betrayal, not to mention Renji had flipped a shit upon finding out about his new role in Espada. It was all a bloody mess…

But was this song a truce? Was it a call for forgiveness? Ichigo couldn't stop thinking about it, even as they entered into their next song which also blew him away. He hadn't helped Renji with this one and had only heard it once or twice in its development. He'd helped write the chords, but to hear it all come together like this, so flawlessly…

"Shit, tha's a good song," Nnoitra said, nodding his head to the beat even after it was over, "Fuck, if they don' win, there ain't no justice in the world."

Stark nodded once and Halibel shrugged her shoulders, "It was alright. The lead got a little sloppy, and something was off on the bass, but I have to agree the lyrics were strong. I didn't know that Shirosaki could scream like that."

Nnoitra grinned maliciously, "Oh yah, he can scream, alright."

Stark and Grimmjow laughed almost hysterically while Ichigo sat blushing, wishing they could talk about anything else.

Don Kanonji's voice boomed over the speakers again as he got the crowd to calm down, announcing for a final round of applause to the band before they left the stage. Ichigo cleared his throat as he saw his old band and friends come back stage, their faces composed like they had just been touched by God himself.

Tosh wasted no time in hurrying over to Ulquiorra, who gave him a monster hug and was whispering stuff to him in his ear that had Tosh nodding before Ulquiorra pecked him on temple.

"Nice beats, kid," Nnoitra complimented begrudgingly, smiling at Tosh as he stuttered a small word of thanks and Shirosaki grinned at his current play toy.

They weren't 'dating' because neither of them 'dated', but who the hell were they trying to fool? Nnoitra looked at Shirosaki like he was the only human being left on the planet and Shirosaki gravitated toward him like gravity.

"Don't get comfy with my man," Shirosaki said, wiggling his eyebrows at Tosh as he took a seat on the arranged sofa next to his boy toy, "I ain't sharin'."

Nnoitra grinned maliciously while almost everybody else rolled their eyes and Halibel let out an exaggerated huff.

"Ya need ta' get laid," Nnoitra said, noticing Halibel's pissy expression, "Can't handle a lil' lovey-dovey action. Gotta ruin it fer' the rest of us."

"She's getting laid," Stark said bluntly, avoiding a slap to the back of the head from Halibel, "She's got nothing to complain about."

"You idiot!" she hissed, slapping him in the chest a couple times to take out her rage, "You're such an idiot."

"Chill, Hal," Grimmjow said, his arm having been resting along the edge of the couch behind Ichigo's head, "Not exactly a secret whose been making you scream lately. The tabloids have even been picking up on that shit."

"Why are you so violent?" Stark sighed, stopping her hitting hand and holding it up to his mouth to brush a kiss gently against her palm, "Relax."

Ichigo wondered if Stark was a magician because the fire and fight seemed to leave Halibel's eyes and she cuddled closer into his side and he closed his eyes, probably for another nap.

"Anybody hungry?" Rukia asked, a hand patting her flat stomach.

"I'm starvin'," Nnoitra said at almost the exact same time as Shirosaki, which only led to them grinning at each other like love struck idiots while the rest of them nodded or murmured what they were dying to eat.

"Yah, let's grab some grub," Grimmjow said, making to get off of the couch when Kanonji's voice took over the sound system again.

"ALL THE CONTESTANTS HAVE PERFORMED! THE JUDGES ARE VOTING NOW, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THE NIGHT DIE JUST YET! ESPADA PROMISED YOU AN ENCORE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET ONE, WAHAHAHA!"

Ichigo flinched at the amount of screaming that issued from the crowd, the chanting absolutely deafening as Grimmjow sighed and Nnoitra cussed under his breath.

"Forgot about that," Grimmjow said, running a hand through his hair, "After, then. Dinner's on me."

"Hell yeah!" Nnoitra shrieked, standing up to his full height, "This'll be over quick though, right? Just a few songs?"

"The three we picked," Grimmjow said, looking over at Ulquiorra, "You have your violin?"

"Of course," Ulquiorra said, making Tosh raise his eyebrows in surprise.

Ulquiorra looked at his adorable white-haired boyfriend, pushing a bang out of his eyes with a black-nailed finger, "Oh, I never told you? The first instrument I ever learned how to play was the violin."

"The first?" Tosh said, his eyes big.

Ulquiorra nodded, "I was instructed in the cello and violin, followed by piano, electric guitar, then bass. The violin and bass are my favorite."

Tosh shook his head from side to side slowly, "And I thought it was impossible for you to get any hotter."

Ulquiorra quirked a smile, flicking at his tongue ring unconsciously and making Toshiro blush a bright crimson.

"ARE YOU READY FOR ESPADA? !"

The crowd screamed again, making everybody flinch and jump up while Soul Society took the abandoned seats.

Ichigo was right behind Grimmjow, almost around the divider that blocked the onlookers from the back stage area when he felt a strong hand on his forearm. He spun, locking eyes with Renji.

"I meant it, man," Renji said, practically yelling over the screaming fans, "I was a real fucking idiot. So can we talk later?"

Ichigo nodded, offering Renji a smile, "Yah, man. See you in a few."

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Renji felt a weight lift off of his shoulders as Ichigo disappeared onto the stage.

**XXX**

"What's up, Karakura?" Grimmjow boomed on the mic, pacing the stage.

Deafening roars. Again.

"Ya lovin' it so far?" Grimmjow said conversationally, a hand in one of his jean's pockets, "Ya ready for more?"

As Ichigo gripped the other microphone, he wondered if his ears were bleeding from the energy Grimmjow was creating with the crowd.

"Then let's do it," Grimmjow grinned, laughing, "Ulquiorra, bring it on."

Ulquiorra had arranged himself at the keyboard that had been positioned on the stage for any band's convenience, as not all bands used the same instrumentals. Ulquiorra nodded, his long graceful fingers falling on the keys as Nnoitra started up the drum beat a moment later.

**['Sell Your Soul' by Hollywood Undead]**

Ichigo was nervous, so nervous. He'd never started a song on his own before, and even though Grimmjow would be screaming for him, he was still nervous as fuck. What if this crowd didn't like him? Zaraki's had been a small gathering. But this…this was over a thousand people. The sun had set and the overhead lights to the outside amphitheatre were turned on them, blinding them from the crowd.

Ichigo began, hoping his voice was strong:

_"I'm holding on so tightly now,_

_my insides scream so loud._

_They keep watchin', watchin' me drown, how did it come to this…?_

Grimmjow took over, crouching on the stage:

_"How did it come to this,_

_how did I know it was you?_

_It was a bad dream,_

_Asphyxiated watch me bleed_

_The life support was cut,_

_The knot was too tight,_

_They push and pull but they know_

_They're never gonna win_

Stark slayed on the guitar, Nnoitra destroying on the drums as the song was launched into the screaming, Ichigo rocking to the intense riff:

_THROW IT ALL AWAY!_

_THROW IT ALL AWAY!_

Ichigo lifted the mic, "I_ keep on screamin' but there's really nothing left to say_…"

Grimmjow parried, "_SO GET AWAY! JUST GET AWAY_!"

Ichigo turned towards Grimmjow, pulling on his own shirt, feeling dramatic, "_I keep on fightin' but I can't keep going on like this!_

_I can't keep going,_

_Can't keep going on like this, they make me sick,_

_And I get so sick of it_

_Cuz they won't let me_

_They won't let me breathe,_

_Why can't they let me be?"_

Grimmjow approached him on the stage, stalking towards him like a predator as he put a hand to his chest repeatedly, "_Why can't they let me be, why don't I know what I am? I force this hate into my heart cuz it's my only friend,_

_My lips are sewn shut,_

_I watch myself bleed,_

_They push and pull and_

_It's killing me within…"_

He repeated the chorus, both of them jumping across the stage, the screaming deafening as many of the audience sang and chanted along. The energy was making Ichigo feel higher than a kite as he got lost in the beat and the lyrics, completely entranced with what Grimmjow had created in this song.

Ichigo got down on his haunches, looking out at the crowd, his head tilted to the side, "_I can't keep going, can't keep going on this wayyyy…_"

Grimmjow took a deep breath, launching into the poetry that made shivers rush down Ichigo's spine:

"_My heart beat stumbles and my back bone crumbles._

_I feel is it real as the lynch mob doubles_

_They want blood and they'll kill for it,_

_Drain me and they'll kneel for it_

_Burn me at the stake, met the devil made the deal for it_

_Guillotine dreams, ya their guillotine gleams!_

_The blood of their enemies watchin' while they sentence me_

_Sentencing ceased, sentence deceased_

_And watch them bask in the glory of their holy disease…"_

The chorus was shredded once more, Ichigo looking over towards Nnoitra, who was so into the beat his long black hair was flying in every direction. The chorus was just THAT intense. Stark had a look of deep concentration, Halibel looking slightly bored, but that was to be expected. It was impossible to hear Ulquiora during the chorus as it was drowned out by the amps and the drums, but Ichigo saw him rocking back and forth on the bench, his black spiky hair swaying as Ichigo realized they had come to the end of the song.

Grimmjow looked at him then, both of them looking out at the crowd as they finished off: "_I keep on runnin, I keep on runnin, but I can't keep going on this way._"

They stopped, heaving for air as the crowd seemed to lose their minds. Ichigo smiled like an idiot before looking at Grimmjow, who grinned and winked. He knew what was coming. The next song…the next song was all him, and he was scared shitless. Even though he had been rehearsing it repeatedly, he was still terrified to fuck up.

Ulquiorra moved quickly from the piano over to his bass, which Halibel had played for the previous song. Halibel relinquished the guitar to make her way over to her own, Stark ready, Nnoitra nodding, and Grimmjow strapping on his own guitar. He tweaked it a minute, giving it an eerie sound that made goose bumps run across Ichigo's flesh. Grimmjow nodded at him, his blue eyes deep and comforting.

Ichigo turned towards the crowd, swallowing, "This one's for all the love birds out there."

Desperate screaming, which made Ichigo smile. He looked at Grimmjow again before looking away, his cheeks heated.

**['All Around Me' by Flyleaf. I know it's sung by a chick, but I can imagine Ichigo's voice to this song. It just fits him for me, so go along with it, okay? It's an amazing song regardless]**

The beat began, Ichigo closing his eyes and picturing it. He loved this song. Knew every word by heart, and not only that, he understood it. He swayed with his mic stand, ready:

_"My hands are searching for you, my arms are outstretched towards you,_

_I feel you on my fingertips, my tongue dances behind my lips for you…_

_This fire runs in through my being, burning I'm not used to seeing you…_

_I'm alive…I'm alive...!_

_I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing, holding on to what I'm feeling, savoring this heart that's healing…_

_My hands float up above me, and you whisper you love me, and I begin to fade…into our secret place…the music makes me sway…the angels singing all around with you…I am alone and they are too with you…_

_I'm alive…I'm alive…!_

_I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing, holding on to what I'm feeling, savoring this heart that's healing…_

_And so I cry…the light is white…and I see you…._

_I'm alive…I'm alive…I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!_

He repeated the chorus, taking the mic from the mic stand and moving closer to the edge of the stage, lifting his face towards the sky, his free hand clenched over his chest:

_"Take my hand_

_I give it to you_

_Now you own me_

_All I am_

_You said you would never leave me_

_I believe you_

_I believe…"_

He moved to the side, watching Grimmjow as he rocked with his guitar, his face peaceful, lost to the moment. Ichigo finished strongly, overcome with his own emotions that the song evoked:

_"I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing, holding on to what I'm feeling, savoring this heart…that's…healing."_

Ichigo basked in the cries of the crowd as he lowered the mic, running a hand through his damp hair before realizing he heard people screaming his name, voices he knew.

He looked wildly out in front of him, the lights glaring but he could make out the first few smashed together 'rows' of people. There was no standard theatre seating, just a giant pit, so Ichigo was amazed to make out the red hair he knew belonged to his best friend. He stared at the new Soul Society dumbly, watching Rukia, Renji, and Shirosaki jump up and down, screaming his name over and over again, laughing while Byakuya stood next to them, offering a subtle grin, his arms crossed over his chest as he nodded at Ichigo in approval.

Ichigo fought tears, running a hand over his face like he was wiping away sweat, but in fact he felt the tears pricking. He turned away for a second as Grimmjow announced they would be doing one final song, so they'd better freaking enjoy it or else. There was laughter and whistling, and if it were possible, people were pressing in even more than ever.

Ulquiorra, once again, left his bass and made his way over to an electronic violin, connecting it to an amp, positioning himself while the others looked at each other, ready for the final performance of the evening.

Ichigo was extremely excited about this song, as it was a duet, and it had some intense guitar that sent Ichigo to nirvana.

**['Awake and Alive' by Skillet. This was the song that gave me literal shivers at the concert. Just unfuckingbelievable. I still can't get over how amazing of a job this was live. Oh yeah, it's a duet with the lead singer and the band's guitar synthesizer Kelly, so pretend Kellly is Ichigo lol. Also, you pretty much have to listen to the song as you read because this song was pretty much impossible to write the format. I did my best!]**

The violin began first, followed by the drums, Stark, Grimmjow and Halibel jumping in as the tempo increased. People were already jumping, still screaming, many of them pulling out their cell phones and waving around the flashlight application. Ichigo gripped his microphone more tightly as Grimmjow started in, his voice powerful:

_"I'm at war with the world and they, try to pull me into the dark. I struggle to find my faith, as I'm slipping from your arms…"_

_Ichigo jumped in, looking out at the crowd, "It's getting harder to stay awake, and my strength is fading fast, you breathe into me at last…"_

_"I'm AWAKE, (**I'm ALIVE**), now I know what I believe inside. NOW, its my (**TIME**), I'll do what I want, cuz this is my life! Right here! ((**Right now!**) Stand my ground and **never back down**!)_

_I know what I believe inside. I'm awake and I'm alive!_

Grimmjow husked into the mic, "I'm at war cuz I, ain't never gonna sell my soul. I already made up my mind, no matter what I can't be bought or sold.

Ichigo walked across the stage, looking out into the sea of floating lights, "When my faith is getting weak, and I feel like giving in, you breathe into me AGAIN…"

"I'm awake, (**I'm alive**), now I know what I believe inside, **NOW**, (it's my **TIME),** I'll do what I want, cuz this is my life. Right here, (right now, stand my ground and never back down)...

I know what I believe inside, I'm awake and (**I'm alive**)

Waking up, waking up

Waking up waking up

Waking up waking up

In the dark…(**I can feel you in my sleep**)…in your arms I feel you (**breathe into me**)…

Forever hold this heart that I will give to you, forever (**I will live for you!**)"

Stark took the guitar solo, a slight smile on his face as he nodded to the beat. Ichigo was stunned by Ulquiorra, who was absolutely SLAYING the violin, the bow moving so quickly that Ichigo could barely follow it, his whole body completely lost to the music, giving Ichigo a glimpse at a different side of the usually-stoic bassist.

Grimmjow and Ichigo looked at each other before turning back to the crowd, both of them belting at the tops of their lungs, "I'm awake, (I'm alive!) Now I know what I believe inside! Now, it's my time! I'll do what I want, cuz this is my life. Right here! **(Right now! Stand my ground and never back down!)**

Grimmjow stopped playing, completely relying on Halibel and Stark to cover him as he gripped the mic stand in front of him, rocking into it:

_"I know what I believe inside, I'm awake and I'm alive._

_Waking up waking up_

_waking up waking up_

_waking up waking up_

_WAKING up WAKING UP!"_

It took the crowd several seconds to realize the song was over. The cheers and applause made Ichigo's breath catch, many already chanting for another song, another chance to hear them one more time.

They were still breathing heavily. They had really gotten into it, and one look at Grimmjow was all Ichigo needed to confirm that the bluenette was freaking hungry as hell and couldn't wait to get out of there and grab something to eat.

"Goodnight, Karakura," Grimmjow husked, sounding far too sexual for Ichigo's comfort. If his boyfriend wasn't careful, he'd jump his bones before they ever got any food in their stomachs.

"WAHAHAHA!" Kanonji boomed, jumping out on the stage in his ridiculous getup. Not to mention it was already dark and he was still wearing black sunglasses, "RIDICULOUS! WAHAHAHAHA! AH, SAD TO SEE YOU GO, BUT WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE! WHO'S READY TO HEAR THE WINNERS OF THE 2010 KANONJI FEST?"

The band carefully and quietly made their way backstage, which was overstuffed and crowded by the day's contestants. Kids were wringing their hands, some of them looking like they were about to piss themselves as Ichigo heard Shirosaki's laughter. They'd been pushing their way through, obviously having hightailed it out of the massive crowd after the performance, trying to make it backstage in time for the announcement.

The Espada moved to the most secluded section that they could find, Aizen's hired bouncers surrounding them for unneeded attention. Ichigo found himself biting his bottom lip in nervousness, which was weird. Espada wasn't even in the contest, but he realized he was nervous for his old band. They had to win. They just had to.

He spotted them all except for Rukia and Toshiro, who were too short over the pressed together bodies.

"OF COURSE YOU ARE! LET'S ANNOUNCE THE THREE FINALISTS, WAHA, AND THEN I SHALL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER!"

The crowd cheered and whistled, everybody backstage looking restless or stone cold dead.

"GIMME A GIGAI, ALL THE KING'S HORSES, AND SOUL SOCIETY, WILL YOU PLEASE COME ON OUT TO THE STAGE! ?"

As the names were said, arms and fists were thrown in the air by those belonging to the finalists. The others either cussed, began hitting each other or blaming each other, or were completely silent as they let the realization soak in that they had failed. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight, but Ichigo clapped for the finalists as they bounced onto the stage, Renji disappearing with a shit-eating grin and a screeching Shirosaki.

"They're gonna take it," Nnoitra said, bumping Ichigo's shoulder, "Ya know they will."

"This is huge," Ichigo murmured, "This is what we've…I mean, what they've always wanted to win. They've worked so hard. They deserve it more than anybody I know."

Grimmjow threw an arm around his shoulder, "Ya wish you were out there? With them?"

"Nah," Ichigo said, a small smile creeping onto his lips, "Fuck it. I'm where I'm supposed to be."

"That sounded cheesy as shit, berry," Grimmjow chuckled, making Ichigo punch him in the shoulder.

"WAHAHA! YOU HAVE ALL SHOWN AMAZING TALENT, but only ONE of you fine bands will take the grand prize! 100,000 yen, WAHA! That's a lot of udon!"

There was some laughter, but it had been such a terrible attempt at a joke that not too many responded. What, did Kanonji want to be a comedian now? He already had that ridiculous TV show after he had finished his long-ass music career.

"ALRIGHT! THE RESULTS!" Kanonji made to put his hand in his left pants pocket, but looked confused and looked in the other one. He finally started patting himself down, checking his shirt pockets and even looked underneath his ridiculous hat, looking out at the crowd with a disbelieving face, "AH, WAHA, it looks like I MISPLACED the WINNER'S NAME!"

There were shrieks of disapproval and Renji couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Cut the magician act and tell us who fucking won already!" Shirosaki shrieked, staring death at Kanonji who looked flustered. Everybody laughed, even a few whistled and catcalled.

Kanonji finally bent down and removed a giant shoe, holding it up and putting his hand inside to pick up a piece of folded over white cardboard stock paper, "AHA! HERE IT IS! WAHAHAHAHA!"

Nobody laughed this time.

Kanonji cleared his throat, "AHEM, WAHA. AH…FIRST to be eliminated is…All the Kings Horses."

There were 'aws' from the crowd as All the Kings Horses nodded, as if they accepted their fate, while Shirosaki cackled like a damn hyena and shot them the bird. Renji quickly quieted him down while Byakuya shook his head in shame.

"AND NOW…THE WINNER OF THE 2010 KANONJI FESTIVAL IS…" Kanonji held out his hands for emphasis, the air thick with tension as everyone hung on his next words…

"And the WINNER IS…"

"AND THE WINNER IS…"

**"Say that one more fucking time and I'll rip your goddamn head off!"** Nnoitra screamed from back stage, loud enough for everyone backstage, on stage, and a few in the front of the stage to hear.

Kanonji cleared his throat again, adjusting the front of his shirt before continuing, Ichigo already feeling a smile creep on his face.

"THE GRAND PRIZE GOES TO…GIMME THAT GIGAI!"

Ichigo stiffened, absolutely stunned. The crowd cheered and cat-called, starting up a chant as the all-boy group with ridiculous-looking hair and make up started jumping and moved towards Kanonji, who was handed a fucking giant-ass trophy that had a golden microphone crossed with a guitar at the top. He passed it to the winning band and removed a check from underneath his hat and handed it to the closest member, "CONGRATULATIONS! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

**XXX**

"I can't fuckin' believe it," Shirosaki said, slamming an empty shot glass down, "I mean, what the fuck? They had shitty lyrics and looked even shittier than their music!"

"Fuckin' faggots," Nnoitra sneered, completely in agreement with his boyfriend, "You played fuckin' circles around those bitches."

"Damn straight," Stark said, nodding, "I don't know what those judges were smoking, but I hope I never come across it."

"Indeed," Ulquiorra said, sitting next to Tosh at the long table in the restaurant. Their hands weren't on the table, so most likely they were holding hands again. Ichigo couldn't get over how fucking cute their relationship was.

Grimmjow had said dinner would be on him, but they had all agreed instead of going to a snarky five-star restaurant that they'd all rather go somewhere comfortable that offered greasy American food and had a sports bar atmosphere. They were all tired, worn out, and just wanted some good food and to get fucking wasted. They deserved a few drinks after the stunts Kanonji had pulled on stage. What a fucking terdmuncher.

"I really thought we had it," Renji said, nursing a beer.

"Next year," Byakuya said, picking at a plate of cheese fries, "We'll annihilate them next year. No mercy."

"Fuck yeah," Shirosaki bellowed before snapping at a waitress to get another round of beers for the table.

Another two hours and plenty of food and alcohol later, Ichigo was feeling good and…happy? Sated? Fuck, he didn't know. All he knew was that he was sitting in a grubby restaurant with the love of his fucking life and his closest pals, and he wouldn't trade it for anything in the fucking world. A part of him, the part with a big ego, wondered that if he had stayed with Soul Society, would they have won? He quickly dismissed the thought, knowing he wasn't doing Shiro any justice. He was good, really good, maybe even better than him.

Grimmjow's cell phone blared and he grunted, fishing it out of his pocket before answering with a bite, "WHAT?"

He listened for a few seconds, processing, "Yeah. Uh-huh. Seriously? Damn."

Practically the entire table was watching him now, focused on Grimmjow's tired and alcohol-tinted eyes, "Alright. No problem. Tomorrow? Alright alright. Cool. Peace."

He hung up, Ichigo jumping him before he could even put the phone back in his pocket, "What was that about?"

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo, then looked at Renji, "You can stop bitching now. Urahara was at the show, and he wants to meet with Soul Society tomorrow to discuss a demo deal. He wouldn't shut up about wanting to be your agent."

The table was silent, and then…

"HOLY SHIT!" Renji rocketed out of his chair, holding his head like it would split in half (which it probably would, considering how much he had drank).

"FUCK YES!" Shirosaki bellowed, shot-gunning another beer before falling back in his chair and crashing to the ground in hysterical drunken peals of laughter. A very agitated and cussing Nnoitra helped him back to his feet while Rukia just smiled like a fucking idiot and Byakuya closed his eyes and turned up his lips.

Tosh just stared open-mouthed at Grimmjow before looking at Ulquiorra, who rewarded him with several kisses despite the very public restaurant, but who the fuck cared? There were barely any patrons in here this late and they had worn hoodies to disguise themselves. No paparazzi would be dishing out hot man-sex in the morning's paper.

"You've gotta be shitting me," Renji said, looking at Grimmjow like he was the world's most talented prankster, "Wha…wha, why would he call you to say some shit like that?"

"Let's think, shit-fer-brains," Grimmjow huffed, taking another sip of his beer, "My boyfriend just happens to be Soul Society's ex-guitarist, who has all the connections to you ass-monkeys. Who else would he fucking call, ass wipe?"

Ichigo couldn't help but smile like a retard. He was drunk, and obviously his boyfriend was drunk, considering he was cussing like a freaking sailor (more than usual, anyway).

As the rest of the table carried on, Grimmjow looked at his boyfriend, raising a blue eyebrow, "Why the fuck you smiling like that for?"

Ichigo just smiled more broadly, "Cuz we rocked tonight, I'm drunk, I love you, and I'm gonna fuck yer brains out."

Grimmjow looked Ichigo up and down, his eyes going dark with heat. He pulled out his wallet, throwing down enough yen to cover the massive bill before grabbing Ichigo by the elbow and tearing away from the table.

"Oi, where the fuck ya think yer goin'?" Nnoitra called, looking offended that his best friend was going anywhere without him.

"To fuck my boyfriend spineless," Grimmjow shot back, offering Nnoitra a shit-eating grin while flicking him the bird, "How 'bout you shut the fuck up and do the same?"

***TA DA! I can't even stress how difficult it was for me to write this chapter. Seriously. Sorry for the long wait, but I made the chapter extra-long to make up for it. You can all thank Racey for inspiring me –waves to wifey- seriously. Wouldn't have released this without her. I'm so low on ideas for this story it's pathetic. I was actually contemplating ending the story here, because I think it's a decent ending, but then I thought "NO! I HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH SMUT YET!" Honestly, that's the only reason I'm continuing this! xD**

**So…Whatever, lol. Take it or leave it! Ah also, if you guys don't mind, if you haven't checked out my story Tell Me Tomorrow yet, would you please? Pretty please? I want as many opinions as possible. I want a lot of critiques: I haven't had a lot of 'constructive criticism' when it comes to reviews, and that's what I like to see (I've mentioned I'm a masochist). So, if you're bored, please check it out, ne?**

**Love you all and again, sorry for the wait! Hope this chapter was at least a little entertaining. It took me almost six hours to write (over the course of two days) so I did invest time in it! Even though I think it's still kinda crappy –shrugs- ANYWAYS, I'll leave now to stop this from being the longest A/N EVER! –TPP***


	25. One More Night

**Short but sweet. I think. ~TPP**

**-Bands & Berries-**

Chapter 25: One More Night

Tosh cuddled into Ulquiorra's side, Ulquiorra absently stroking Tosh's arm that was draped over his naked chest. They were back in Toshiro's dorm, Ulquiorra feeling so happy yet hopeless at the same time. He really didn't want to leave Tosh behind. The physical separation was already hurting his heart and he hadn't even left yet.

It was there final night together. He had wanted to make it extra special. Tosh was still panting slightly, trying to get his breathing back to normal. It was understandable: Ulquiorra had gone almost insanely slow, something he had wanted to do with Tosh since they had met. He'd been very careful, focusing solely on Tosh's pleasure, making sure he could draw it out as long as possible, make it last. He had never been so careful while making love.

"What are you humming?" Tosh asked quietly, his spiky white hair fanning over Ulquiorra's shoulder and part of his chest.

Ulquiorra hadn't even realized he had been humming. He continued, Tosh's breathing back to normal, his eyes droopy as Ulquiorra continued to stroke his arm.

It wasn't often that Ulquiorra sang, but the song he had been humming was a particular favorite of his, especially since meeting Toshiro. It wasn't so much the lyrics as the melody.

His voice was soft, "If our love was a fairytale, I would charge in and rescue you. On a yacht we would sail, to an island where we'd say "I do" and if we had babies they would look like you, it'd be so beautiful if that came true…"

Tosh snorted softly at that, but he was too happy to ruin the moment.

Ulquiorra began stroking at Tosh's white hair, his voice even softer than before, "You don't even know how very special you are. You leave me breathless…you're everything good in my life. You leave me breathless…I still can't believe that you're mine. You just walked out of one of my dreams, so beautiful you're leaving me _breathless_."

"I love your voice," Tosh yawned, settling his head more snugly on Ulquiorra's chest, "Sing me something else."

Ulquiorra thought a moment, knowing he must love Tosh to be indulging him so. He never sang like this. When he sang for the band, it was screaming or dark and haunting, but he had a soft voice when he was alone, "If I sing another song, you'll fall asleep."

"Nuh-uh," Tosh argued sleepily, "There's no way I can sleep knowing this is our last night together. You…you leave in the morning."

Technically it was already morning. Two a.m., to be precise, and he had to be at Yoruichi Entertainment headquarters by seven. They were taking a double-decker tour bus and wouldn't be needing a plane until later in the tour.

Still. Toshiro wouldn't be at the upcoming performances. At least not for a while.

"You'll keep doing well in school, ne?" Ulquiorra said quietly, wrapping both arms around Tosh as he shifted to lie more comfortably on his side. They were both side sleepers, so it was convenient, "And Soul Society…the meeting went well. Who knows? In a couple months, we might even be able to tour together…"

"I don't even want to finish school," Tosh mumbled, "What's the point? I still have another year until I earn my bachelor's…"

"Education is important."

"_You're_ not in school," Tosh said, one of his hands linking fingers with one of Ulquiorra's hands.

"I finished early," Ulquiorra answered, kissing Tosh's knuckles.

"What did you study?"

"Philosophy," Ulquiorra said, his deep green eyes focused on blue ones, "I graduated from high school early, earned a general degree in Linguistic Studies and earned a Masters in Philosophy around the time Grimmjow approached me about starting Espada. I had to finish my final semester through online classes, but I did finish. We've been really busy this year, and the summer is going to be a pain, but in the fall I'd like to pursue Art History studies."

"H-how old are you?" Tosh asked, feeling ridiculously embarrassed. He was proud though that his boyfriend was some kind of genius to be graduating high school and earning degrees when he was a young adult.

Ulquiorra continued, "I turn nineteen in February."

"W-what?" Tosh was suddenly wide awake, sitting up in bed and staring at Ulquiorra like he was looking at a ghost, "Y-you're eighteen? S-seriously?"

"Is that a problem?" Ulquiorra said quietly, sucking on his black lip ring.

"I'm just…surprised," Tosh sighed, running a hand through his icey locks, "I thought we were the same age. I mean, you act older, and everybody in Espada seems older, so I just assumed you were…"

"I'm three and a half years younger than you," Ulquiorra said, sitting up and smirking at his adorable blushing boyfriend, "Is that the problem, sweetie? That you're being fucked by a teenager?"

"Sh-shut up!" Tosh said, slapping Ulquiorra's shoulder and listening to him chuckle, "You don't have to say it like that!"

"I'm no longer the youngest in the band. That privilege now falls to Ichigo," Ulquiorra husked, leaning in and kissing Toshiro, "Age is just a number, love."

"Yeah, I guess…" Tosh trailed off between kisses, "B-but I still feel old."

"Yes, you're older than me, but I'm a blubbering mess of suppressed teenage hormones. You have to take care of me, Tosh," he said cheekily, nipping Tosh's ear and making him suck in a breath, "I'll throw teenage tantrums and go through a rebellious phase, and don't think for even a moment I won't be possessive and jealous at all times."

"That _does _make me feel a bit better," Tosh said, smiling at his lover with a huge know-it-all grin, "I'm the mature member of the relationship."

"Always," Ulquiorra chuckled, distracting his boyfriend from further talk. They didn't have much time left.

**XXX**

"Fuck!"

"I'm workin' on it!" Grimmjow growled back, snapping his hips forward and striking Ichigo's prostate for what had to be the hundredth time.

Or felt like it, anyway, considering they had been going at it like animals for the past several hours.

"Hah, ungh, ah!" was all Ichigo managed to get out before Grimmjow felt hot cum coat his lower stomach.

"Shit," Grimmjow grunted, feeling his own release as Ichigo's muscles milked him dry. He immediately pulled out and rolled off of Ichigo, beyond sated.

"I can't move," Ichigo husked, proving his point by not moving even a centimeter as he continued to breathe heavily beside Grimmjow.

"That was…a fuckin' record," Grimmjow said with a maniacal grin, "Nine, no, that makes ten. Do I count you giving me head in the shower?"

"Yes, you stupid bastard."

Grimmjow chuckled before rolling onto his side and kissing Ichigo's sweaty temple, "We had ta' make up for the next few weeks. Unless you changed your mind."

"_No_," Ichigo said darkly, still unmoving even as he glared at Grimmjow, "I'm not letting you fuck me in a tour bus filled with our band mates. No. Fucking. Way."

"Poor sport," Grimmjow growled, rolling out of bed and padding towards Ichigo's apartment bathroom in all his goddamned naked glory, "It's not like they're gonna be chaste saints either. Last time we had the bus, Nnoitra-"

"I don't even WANT to know," Ichigo said, managing to roll over face-first into his pillow, his ass just now beginning to feel fiery pain. Shit shit shit.

"Grm."

"Wha?"

"Crnmetothabafrm."

"I don't speak pillow," Grimmjow said, his voice so serious it made Ichigo grunt in laughter.

He turned his head to the side, his entire body feeling sated but incredibly sore, "Carry me to the bathroom?"

Grimmjow approached the bed, unable to hold back his laughter as he hoisted Ichigo up in his arms, "Of course I'll carry you to the bathroom, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that!"

"Fine," Grimmjow said huskily, making Ichigo shiver slightly, "Lover."

**XXX**

"We might as well stay awake," Nnoitra said, lighting another cigarette as he sat in bed naked with his newest lover, "I gotta be at the bus in less than two hours."

"And I don't got a car," Shirosaki said, his arms under his head as he stared up at the ceiling, "We gonna walk?"

"Hell no," Nnoitra said, blowing smoke out of his nostrils and flicking the cancer stick towards the black ash tray resting on the bedside table, "I got money 'fer a cab."

"I kinda like walkin'," Shiro mused, his eyes half-lidded as he fought sleep. They'd stayed up all night, knowing it was their final night together before Nnoitra took off on the road while Shirosaki stayed behind to work with Renji on more songs. The appointment with Urahara had seemed very promising, so the band would be working harder than ever to get prepared for a sick demo.

"Well I don't," Nnoitra said, stubbing out the butt before falling back on the mattress, his long black hair fanned out in every direction as he stared at the ceiling too.

"We don't gotta, but I'd like 'ta," Shirosaki retorted, his voice somehow…thoughtful? Hopeful?

Shit.

"If ya really want 'ta, then we can," Nnoitra mumbled, his voice trailing off almost into a whisper.

Shirosaki chuckled, the deep, sexy chuckle that made Nnoitra's skin prickle with goose bumps.

He felt the expensive hotel bed shift slightly beneath him as Shirosaki crawled closer to him, laying kisses along his neck and jaw before he was suddenly straddling Nnoitra's hips, beginning to rock slowly side to side as he grabbed Nnoitra's bottom lip with his teeth, pulling it into his mouth to suck.

Nnoitra felt his eye roll back in his head as he let out a groan, his spent cock trying its damndest to get hard again. He didn't know if it was possible though. They'd been at it so long and so hard even Nnoitra's libido was at its limit.

He didn't understand how Shirosaki was so _tireless_. Did the albino bastard ever fucking sleep?

According to his advances, apparently not.

**XXX**

Halibel rolled onto her side before rolling back onto her other side, absolutely furious. She couldn't believe that Starrk had passed out after only one round.

Now here she lay in bed beside him, listening to him snore for the past six hours. She had been so angry that she wanted nothing more than to storm off and never talk to the laid back hippie fucktard again, but there was something about having an empty bed that didn't sit well with her. Even though she was mad as hell, she had to admit that the snoring, the body heat, was comforting. Nice.

She shook her head, angry at her emotions. She was not the type of girl to settle down, to be comfortable with anyone. She fucked who she fucked, and fucked when she fucked. No emotions involved (as expressed by her repeated idiocy with a certain emo bassist) but…

…fuck, why did Starrk feel so…perfect? They'd been on-and-off for as long as they had known each other. No strings attached, period. It had worked out perfectly for the both of them for the past few years.

Sex was amazing, she knew that. Everybody…could hear that, so…

Damn! Why was she still here, thinking?

_It's his body_, she reasoned internally, turning onto her other side again, _It's his body. I don't care about his mind, his smile, or his droopy eyes. I don't want his heart._

Halibel gasped softly when she felt Starrk's arm drape across her hip, his palm settling on her lower abdomen, pulling her backwards until she was fit into Starrk, their naked bodies molded to each other, Starrk's breathing still deep.

She closed her eyes and sighed: even when he was asleep, he managed to make her heart skip a beat.

**/chapter end.**


	26. A Sinning Strawberry

**Hello, everyone. It has been a long, long time, but I have many, many excuses, two of them being that I have been deathly ill for the past few days (I'm still sick, but not nearly as bad as I was) and school is really putting down the hammer with papers and exams. Hope this makes up for it, at least a little bit. ~TPP**

Bands & Berries

-Chapter 26: A Sinning Strawberry-

Ichigo tried not to fidget as the makeup artist applied the finishing touches to his dark eye makeup. He had never worn makeup before, but the ads they were shooting today were an important promotion for their tour. In fact, as soon as shooting was done, Espada was going to be whisked away to another concert.

The tour was going well, although Ichigo had been homesick for weeks. Isshin called him almost every night to check on him, and although Ichigo wanted to be annoyed with his old man, he knew deep down that he appreciated it. It wasn't easy living on the road, even if Ichigo did have the luxury of having his boyfriend with him and a double-decker tour bus.

"Fabulous," the make up artist grinned, spinning Ichigo's chair slightly so that he could get the full impression in the large lighted mirror, "I think this is the most original concept Aizen's come up with as far as your ad campaigns. You're all devastatingly sinful."

The ad was for a new brand of cologne called DEADLY SIN, so Aizen and the photographer had come up with the concept to have each member represent one of the seven deadly sins. Although there weren't seven of them, the concept still worked ridiculously well.

Ichigo studied his ghostly face in the mirror, his ashy appearance, along with the gold-colored contacts and black smoky eye makeup, immediately made him think of Shiro, but his hair was still ridiculously orange. The hairstylist had finished with him about an hour ago, styling his longer orange locks into incredible spikes not typical of the teen. Ichigo didn't even want to know how much gel and hairspray was weighing down his head at the moment it felt so heavy, but he had to admit, he looked damn good.

The makeup artist removed the shawl from around his neck and shooed him away, telling him that the shootings for the fragrance were taking place just down the hall in Room B and that wardrobe would be doing some final touches. Ichigo had been dressed in loose-fitting sheer white pants and some kind of white tunic that hung loosely on his fit frame. The makeup artist had painted his nails and toenails black, explaining that he wouldn't be wearing shoes in the shoot. Black cuff jewelry adorned his arms along with a few black bangle bracelets and a black necklace that looked like it was dripping in rubies. It should have been almost feminine, but he found himself liking it more and more. When it caught the light, it turned all kinds of red and Ichigo thought it was so fucking pretty.

He felt kind of like a genie.

Ichigo wandered off down the hallway, entering the wardrobe room when he heard Nnoitra's cackling laughter.

"So I'm Greed, ne?" Nnoitra said to the bumbling little assistant who was blushing furiously, a headset and clipboard in her tiny hands. Nnoitra's outfit was skinny white jeans and a white coattail jacket, the hoodie placed strategically on his head so as not to upset the styled front of his long black mane. His face was pale as well, although his eye makeup was all harsh angles that could only be the product of an amazing liquid eyeliner. His piano-toothed smile was made even more leering by his newly-filed canines (they had opted to make them glue-ons, but Nnoitra had wanted them surgically done like his current lover, Shiro). Nnoitra was leaning over her; she was barely half of his height, "Guess it makes sense."

"And Sloth," the girl said, jotting something down on the clipboard while looking at Starrk, who Ichigo hadn't even realized had been lounging on a white chair in the corner. His head was resting on his fist as he sat in the chair, his eyes closed, his complexion also pale from makeup, his eye makeup the bare minimum in that they must have only applied a dark eye pencil to accentuate his gray blue eyes. His clothes were also white, white skinny jeans and a white fitted coat with white gloves. His hair was extra shiny but other then that, the same slightly-curled brown tendrils he'd always boasted.

"Lust," the girl continued, nodding towards Halibel who was dressed in a ridiculous-looking white shirt that began as some kind of turtleneck that hid her mouth and continued to barely cover her breasts, her entire midsection exposed, then a short white pleated skirt and black fishnet stockings with dangerous-looking black pumps to finish off the look. Her makeup was dark but highlighted her intense eyes, her blonde hair in its usual punk style.

"Wrath," the assistant squeaked, her face going even more red as she stared at Ichigo. Ichigo still didn't understand why he was portraying Wrath, one of the most destructive of the sins. Everybody had laughed when they'd found out it was mainly because of the superstition that red heads had a bad temper. Ichigo shrugged: he definitely preferred it to Gluttony.

"And Envy and Pride are already in the shooting room," she announced, waving her hand towards the door, "Come on, everyone. We have a very limited time schedule for you all today. Aizen-sama expects you at the concert venue in less than four hours."

They all shuffled out into the shooting studio, Ichigo's eyes nearly popping out of his head when he saw Grimmjow, or Envy, leaning against one wall of the super-white studio in loose white jeans and a white jacket with short sleeves that exposed most of his chest with a loose bleach white tie, his hair a crumpled blue mess and, whereas everybody else's makeup was black, his was teal blue markings underneath and around his eyes, his face and chest dusted in glittery white powder, a black circle drawn over his abdomen as if he were hollow there.

DAMN, Ichigo thought, NO WONDER THEY MADE HIM ENVY. I WANT HIM.

Ulquiorra, or Pride, was standing to his side, talking quietly, his arms folded over his chest. He also wore white jeans, although his were a more slim fit, and his militaristic-styled white jacket was buttoned halfway up, exposing the top of his chest, and Ichigo noticed that Ulquiorra was also given the black hole, but this one was on his throat. Since Ulquiorra was always pale, Ichigo didn't really notice the difference, but his eye makeup was extremely dark and heavy, making his green eyes dark and sexy, his hair styled in his usual manner but managing to look sleeker like if anyone touched it, it would be liquid. Ichigo had always admired the bassists' dark hair.

"Alright, come on now, let's not waste any more time, my beautiful experiments!" the photographer cackled, a creepy older man that they had been told to call Mayuri-sama. Ichigo couldn't stop staring at the photographer: he was a freak of nature, and it was creepy how he was constantly talking about his camera lens being like a petri-dish and how his subjects for shooting were experiments. His assistant, a very stoic and drone-like young woman with pretty features and black hair, adjusted several lights for the white backdrop that held a few black chairs, a few white chairs, and a table that was striped in black and white. The table looked like something out of the twilight zone with it's design, but it was set like something out of Alice in Wonderland. Red cups, teapots, and plenty of food, mostly different exotic-looking fruits, adorned the table with golden goblets and black utensils, the table cloth a satin red that looked like blood, and Ichigo was sure it had been planned to have it look as if it was seeping off of the table onto the floor. The chairs were arranged randomly, as Mayuri had said he wanted to see some natural interaction before offering direction.

"Off you go! Into your natural habitat!" he cackled, clicking his shutters on the expensive-looking camera before hiding his creepy face behind it.

The band filed onto the set, Starrk immediately taking a seat on the end and propping his elbow on the table, chin in his hand as he stared boringly at the camera, Halibel moving to his side, a hand on his shoulder as she leaned over the table provocatively, reaching for a ripe red apple. Nnoitra took a black chair and set it towards the center of the table, grabbing up a bushel of juicy green grapes, his gigantic tongue snaking out as if to eat the whole bushel at once while his other hand rested on a giant golden goblet. Well, Nnoitra was definitely in character.

Ichigo decided to keep it simple, opting to sit on the edge of the table farthest from Nnoitra, his body tilted towards the camera, his expression, he hoped, angry. He was supposed to be the embodiment of Wrath, after all.

Ulquiorra, unsurprisingly, sat like a statue in a white chair near Starrk and Halibel, his posture stiff, one of his hands holding a saucer and tea cup, looking extremely dignified. Ichigo wanted to snort, but it worked so well for Ulquiorra that he managed to hold it in.

As for Grimmjow, he smirked at Ichigo before getting up on the table, disrupting several of the carefully-placed propped foods and plates. He got on his knees, leaned forward, his strong hands holding the edge of the table as he tilted his head to the side and offered the camera his award-winning leer.

"Perfect!" Mayuri screamed, the flashes going off so quickly and brilliantly Ichigo feared he would go blind, "More, give me more! You're sins! You shouldn't be sitting pretty! Show me what you've got!"

Nnoitra cackled, picking up what looked like an apricot before hurling it at Ichigo's midsection. Ichigo let out a little huff as the air left his lungs, fury painting his face as he realized Nnoitra was almost falling out of his chair in laughter. The photographer said nothing, just the insistent clicking letting them know they were still modeling.

But Ichigo was furious. He let out an animalistic shriek as he lunged on top of the table, several plates and goblets clattering to the floor in a mess as he scratched and clawed his way across the table, stumbling over Grimmjow, who had turned and started laughing at Ichigo but Nnoitra had his arm drawn back, laden with more fruit. Ichigo lunged for him, yelling, his eyes absolutely wild as Starrk started snoring on the table, Halibel now sitting in his lap, her hand stroking his hair and her lips close to his ear like she was whispering sweet nothings to him.

"Fucker!" Ichigo roared, tackling Nnoitra hard enough to knock them both to the ground. Nnoitra was still laughing hysterically, both of their outfits now stained in red, blue, and orange pulp from the different fruits as Grimmjow pulled on Ichigo's collar, pulling him off of his long time friend, the leer never leaving his face.

"Now THAT'S Wrath!" Nnoitra cackled before standing back up to his monstrous height and sinking his teeth into a peach, the juice oozing over his knuckles as he smirked at Ichigo darkly.

Mayuri had gotten closer, taking close-up shots of them individually and then as a group as Grimmjow seemed to wrap his arms protectively around Ichigo's torso to keep him from ripping Nnoitra's head off. Ichigo's black fingers were extended, scratching at Nnoitra's jacket, his face all rage, his teeth bared, the black makeup aiding in making him look possessed.

Ulquiorra set his teacup down, unable to keep the smirk off of his face as he leaned back in his chair, looking perfectly presentable as the mayhem unfolded around him. Pride indeed.

"More sexuality!" Mayuri bellowed, now practically in Ichigo's face. He'd gotten between Nnoitra and Ichigo, the camera lens barely a foot away from Ichigo's face.

"No problem," Grimmjow growled, practically throwing Ichigo on top of the table.

Ichigo's back hit the wooden table hard enough to knock the wind out of him, his body scrambling to get up to a sitting position but that was made impossible by Grimmjow's body, which was now hovering over him, straddling his waist. Ichigo, now completely defenseless, practically had his head hanging off the edge of the table, his nails digging into Grimmjow's perfect chest, hard enough to draw angry, red lines.

"Oh yeah, baby," Grimmjow crooned, Mayuri mumbling nonsensically as he continued to move around and around the pair, shot after shot before backing off and flashing more shots.

Ichigo let out an animalistic shriek, throwing his head back so that he was hanging over the edge, one of his hands raking down Grimmjow's torso while the other was wrapped around Grimmjow's neck, not strangling in the least, but for the picture's sake, it was beyond sexual in the positioning of the bodies on top of the table.

Nnoitra threw his head back and laughed, his peach still in his hand when Starrk opened his eyes barely, still cloudy from his wanted rest, Ulquiorra looking pointedly at the camera, dark and mysterious, his fingers steepled in front of him, Halibel twisted provocatively in Starrk's lap.

Flash. Flash flash flash.

"BRILLIANT!" Mayuri-sama bellowed, hands out in the air as he dropped his camera to the floor, "Absolutely BRILLIANT! My god, people! We're through here! Go get cleaned up!"

The other photo assistants and technicians clapped happily, which seemed to snap Ichigo back into reality. He blinked several times, loosening his grip on Grimmjow before staring at him pointedly, "Ya gonna get off me, ass hole?"

"Do I gotta?" Grimmjow replied breathily, leaning down into Ichigo, his hot breath feathering across Ichigo's face, "You're so fucking hot when you're angry. I think I'm gonna throw fruit at'cha more often."

"Dick," Ichigo replied, pushing against Grimmjow's chest.

"It's hard. Thanks for askin'," Grimmjow said with a lecherous leer before stealing a quick kiss and rolling off of Ichigo. Ichigo sat up, rubbing at his mouth, still a bit pissed off at Nnoitra but Grimmjow had made him feel a bit better.

"Now they're stained!" a woman whined, tugging on the front of Nnoitra's jacket, "How am I supposed to replace these before the concert? These were your outfits for the main stage!"

"You'll figure somethin' out, kid," Nnoitra said, ruffling her hair before walking away, complaining that he was starving to death, the woman chasing after him, telling him to head straight to wardrobe.

Ichigo grabbed a bottle of water from one of the many coolers offered to those working the set and chugged half of it before deciding it was best to head to wardrobe and change into something more presentable. He could feel the stickiness from the fruit beginning to dry on his neck and he was sure some of it was in his hair. His stylist was going to be pissed.

He sighed, about halfway down the hall before he felt a hand wrap over his mouth and tug him back into a dark cold storage unit. Ichigo was about to panic but heard the breathy chuckle and his body immediately relaxed, "What the fuck, Grimmjow? What's wrong?"

Grimmjow said nothing, only pressed him up against one of the small room's walls, immediately beginning to suck the life out of him with desperate kisses.

When Ichigo broke for air, he gripped Grimmjow's forearms, his chest heaving, "Grimm, we don't have time for this."

"We never have time for this," Grimmjow said back, nipping Ichigo's ear, "We've been on the road for weeks, Ichi, and we haven't done it even ONCE, and no, jacking me off in the bathroom once doesn't fucking count!"

"I'm frustrated too, okay? But we really don't have time for this," Ichigo ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "After tonight's concert Aizen's given us some free time. We can do anything you want then, okay?"

Ichigo shivered when Grimmjow pressed himself into Ichigo, grinding against him, showing Ichigo just how long he'd been waiting, "I can't fucking wait that long, Ichi. Especially after the act you just put on out there. Christ, I almost came when you lunged across the table like that, like you were a fucking beast. It was damn hot."

"Yeah?" Ichigo breathed, a smile creeping on his face, "A beast, huh?"

"A damn sexy beast," Grimmjow growled, his hands pushing at Ichigo's tunic until it fell off of his shoulders.

"N-no, Grimm," Ichigo said weakly, even though he wasn't fighting as hard as he should.

"Jewelry looks so good on you," Grimmjow murmured, fingering the rainfall of rubies that splayed halfway down Ichigo's now exposed chest, "When this tour's over, I'm gonna cover you in diamonds…"

"I already got one," Ichigo reminded Grimmjow as Grimmjow continued to fan kisses down Ichigo's chest. At the start of the tour, Grimmjow had pulled Ichigo aside and given him a white gold tongue ring with a 2 karat diamond in the tip of the ball. Ichigo's jaw had dropped when he'd found out how much Grimmjow had spent, "and you do, too."

Ichigo had told Grimmjow that he couldn't accept such an extravagant gift, but Grimmjow had insisted, saying that he had wanted to buy Ichigo a ring, but that Aizen had forbidden it due to the press scandals it would create. Ichigo had grudgingly accepted, but only under the condition that Grimmjow wear one as well.

So the next day, Grimmjow had gotten his tongue pierced. Now that it was fully healed, he'd switched it out to a tongue bar that matched Ichigo's in carat and clarity.

And Ichigo had barely gotten any time to kiss the fucking sexy bastard. It had been driving him insane as well, not being able to satisfy his body and his heart at the same time like they had gotten used to in Karakura.

Grimmjow licked Ichigo's belly button before blowing his warm breath on it as he said, "Yeah. I know. But you can never have too many diamonds."

Ichigo whined, tugging on Grimmjow's hair until he stood back up to his full height, Ichigo attacking his mouth with new fervor, his body literally aching to be ravaged by his blue-haired lover. Ichigo shivered as Grimmjow's cold tongue ring caressed the bottom of his tongue, a whine leaving his mouth before Grimmjow's cell phone started blaring.

"Grimm," Ichigo gasped as Grimmjow pulled their dicks free from their annoying pants at almost the exact same time.

"Ignore it," Grimmjow growled, the ringtone continuing to blast as Grimmjow began to move his hand in earnest against their erections, Ichigo mewling from the feel of Grimmjow's hands and his teeth.

Ichigo heard his own phone start to go off, but he ignored it the best he could, pushing Grimmjow up against the opposite wall, his hand beginning to stroke them both faster then Grimmjow's had, his pouty mouth moving to tug on one of Grimmjow's exposed nipples. The room was dark but Ichigo heard his phone slip out of his loose pants. The pockets had been ridiculous in the first place, but Ichigo didn't pay his phone any mind now as he focused on getting him and his boyfriend off before anybody realized they were missing.

"Fuck," Grimmjow breathed, his body bucking against Ichigo.

"You close, baby?" Ichigo asked, barely breathing at this point.

"Shit," was all Grimmjow managed before Ichigo took that to mean a yes. Ichigo dropped to his knees, sucking Grimmjow's length into his mouth while simultaneously tugging on his own weeping cock, knowing that he was on the brink as well.

Grimmjow let out a yell, his hands in Ichigo's over-styled hair, tugging on it harshly. Oh well. Ichigo had known the stylist was going to have to fix that before these activities had started in the first place.

Ichigo's body racked with his orgasm, making him moan. Grimmjow, unable to help himself, thrust forward several times into Ichigo's mouth, spilling himself. Ichigo almost gagged but swallowed it greedily, popping off Grimmjow's dick and licking it clean for good measure as Grimmjow breathed heavily.

"Oh fuck me," Grimmjow said, staring down at Ichigo with hooded eyes. That seemed to be the only speech Grimmjow was capable of post orgasm. Ichigo smirked, cleaning himself up the best he could before re-buttoning his ridiculous genie pants.

"Don't worry. You'll get your wish later," Ichigo said, getting on his tiptoes and kissing Grimmjow chastely on the lips before helping Grimmjow tuck himself back in.

"Fuck no. Not before me," Grimmjow said, his hands grabbing at Ichigo's ass cheeks greedily, "Face it, Ichi: you're an uke at heart."

Ichigo blushed furiously before smirking, "I'll rock paper scissors you for it."

"No fucking way. I suck at that game."

"Because you can't cheat," Ichigo said, kissing his neck before rooting around on the ground for his cell phone in the dark.

"Who called?" Ichigo asked when he got a hold of his cell phone and Grimmjow had pulled his own free from his pocket.

"Aizen," Grimmjow said before shutting his phone closed and staring at Ichigo, whose eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"What the fuck?"

"Oh my god," Ichigo said, covering his mouth with a hand as he stared at his cell phone. Grimmjow stared at the screen, which was displaying a connected sign and a call time. The numbers continued to blink, informing that the line had been connected for a good five minutes.

Ichigo's phone had dialed out when it had fallen.

"Who you got on speed dial?" Grimmjow leered, unable to help a laugh.

"No wonder you wouldn't pick up, Grimmjow-san," a calm, cool, and powerful voice said through the receiver.

Ichigo thought he was going to die of embarrassment, "Aizen-sama."

"I trust you two can control yourselves now until AFTER the concert performance? It would be much appreciated," Aizen said with false bravado, "Kurosaki-san, I would like to speak to you tomorrow. Perhaps over lunch."

Ichigo gulped, still dying of embarrassment, "Y-yes, Aizen-sama."

"Excellent. I'll call you tomorrow morning with the details."

The line disconnected, Grimmjow growling low under his breath, "What the fuck does he want from you now?"

"He's probably…" Ichigo sighed, "Gonna yell at me again."

"It can't be that," Grimmjow said irritably, "He doesn't give a shit if we fuck, as long as we keep it quiet. I already talked to him about it. As long as it doesn't become public knowledge…"

Ichigo's eyes widened, "You stupid baka!"

Grimmjow blocked Ichigo's sudden fist pummels, "Whoa! What the fuck, Ichi?"

"You KISSED me during the photo shoot!" Ichigo said, suddenly in full panic mode, "In front of at least thirty people! What if one of them had gotten a picture?"

"Chill. It was a peck on the lips. Even if someone did get a photo of it, we'll chalk it up to doing what we had to do for the ad campaign," Grimmjow said, sliding his hand through his messy hair, "Relax, Ichi."

"And you TOLD HIM ABOUT US?" Ichigo said, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Grimmjow, "What the fuck? Why did you tell him?"

"He was gonna find out anyway, and I don't like the way he looks at you," Grimmjow growled back, "He can't fucking have you. I wanted to make sure he understood that."

"Well thanks for letting me know," Ichigo scoffed, shaking his head, "Thanks, now I can just crawl under a rock and disappear."

"He can't do anything to you, Ichi. I won't let him," Grimmjow reassured in a serious voice, kissing Ichigo on the forehead, "Come on. Let's go get ready. We don't have much time 'till the show."

Ichigo nodded minutely, following Grimmjow out of the small room, his brain racing.

_What did Aizen have to say to him?_

***Alright, so it was kind of weird getting back into this story, this universe. I don't know why, but I'm really having a difficult time staying in these guys' heads, but I thought this chapter, while short compared to the other chapters, would let you guys know that I haven't abandoned this story and I have a plot coming around now. Can anyone see it? Yeah? Yeah? Is there a cliché in the horizon? :D**

**~Points up into the air~ Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a deceitful Aizen! WAHAHA I'm so fucking original it kills me. **

**ANYWAYS, if you're not too busy, please check out my profile for a poll I just posted, asking a very serious question about updating my next story. I've already written the first chapter of Tie Me Down (Gin and Shuhei's POV of Tell Me Tomorrow) but I wanted to tweak it a little more yet and I wasn't sure if I should post it before taking care of some other updates I've been promising. Right now, it's tied at Tie Me Down and Tear It Up (which has also been started). **

**So, if you vote, I should update very, very quickly :P**

**Ah, and please Review this chapter, if you would, please. I'm curious to know if you guys could visualize everything I was trying to go for. I was doodling the other day and created a scene similar to what I described in the photo shoot, which inspired this chapter because, well, I'm weird like that. I might even be able to post the picture up on Deviant Art soon, but I still don't know the site well, but I will try and get my visions of the band members up there. I tried to make them ooze sex, even though they do that already ;P**

**Oh, and my Deviant Art is The Petulant Prodigy (I think. I haven't touched it since I created it, but you should be able to find it. I used my name from this site so that it would be easier ^_^)**

**Until next time, Ja ne! ~TPP**


	27. A Little Extra!

**Hey! Look! I'm not dead! It's short, but please enjoy. I needed some fluff to get me back in the game, so here it is. Please excuse the randomness, haha! -TPP**

**Bands & Berries**

**A Little Extra**

Ulquiorra sat idly on the edge of his tour bus bed, his black sheets mussed from tossing and turning for the past several nights. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, and all the makeup in the world couldn't cover up that fact. He had struggled with insomnia for most of his life, but now that he was separated from Tosh, it was as if he would never sleep again.

So there he sat, idly plucking at the ukelele Grimmjow had given him as a gag gift last Christmas. Ulquiora had surprised them all when he'd actually bought a teaching book and taught himself to play. Looking at Ulquiorra one would never think he would play such a…silly-looking…instrument, but it was true nonetheless.

He'd stopped practicing his violin a few days ago due to Nnoitra's anger, _"Fucking stop that shit! So fuckin' depressin'! Play somethin' else!"_

The band had been on the road for nearly three months now, their next concert a day away, and it seemed that everyone was beginning to worry about him. Ulquiorra had always been a private person, never emitting emotion, and now was no different. Starrk had tried to talk to him about it, the separation, but Ulquiorra had changed the subject so abruptly it had even made Starrk draw his brows together in confusion. And in all those months, Ulquiorra had only seen Tosh once, during an eighteen-hour break he'd managed to break Aizen with over a month ago.

But the tour was so tight-assed that it was seeming to be impossible for Tosh to come to him or for Ulquiorra to go to Tosh. It was much harder in act then Ulquiorra had originally planned.

It seemed the only person that Ulquiorra even wanted to be around these days was Ichigo, as Ichigo had the closest connection to Tosh out of anyone. Being around Ichigo made Ulquiorra's heart hurt a little less, made his longing not as potent. It still hurt, of course it did, but for some reason Ulquiorra was a glutton for punishment.

His cell phone vibrated next to him. He checked the caller i.d. on the expensive new model he had picked up before leaving Karakura.

He picked up immediately, feeling his pulse quicken, "Tosh."

"Hi," Tosh said sweetly from the other end of the line, making Ulquiorra suddenly very emotion, "How's my baby doing?"

Ulquiorra felt like his emotions had hit a wall and shattered all over the place so suddenly he sucked in a breath and tried to stay calm. They talked on the phone everyday, sometimes for hours. It helped with the insomnia somewhat, but Tosh wasn't available every moment Ulquiorra wanted to speak with him, to hear his voice, and vice versa.

But for some reason, Ulquiorra felt as if he was suffering from the separation far worse than Hitsugaya.

"Hey," Ulquiorra finally managed, his eyes darting to the side to see Starrk sleeping soundly not too far away from his own bed. It was late afternoon but the bus was moving, making way to the next city, so mostly every one was taking a nap or entertaining themselves with music or movies. He could hear the sounds of explosions coming from the retractable flat screen television on the lower level, Nnoitra cackling madly and Grimmjow yelling something. He assumed he was quite alone up here, besides the slumbering Starrk.

"What's wrong?" Tosh asked, making Ulquiorra suck on his lip ring. Such a nervous habit.

"I'm fine," Ulquiorra said, knowing perfectly well that he wasn't, "I'm just…so tired."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Tosh said, sounding deflated, "Sorry. You must be exhausted. You played two shows this week, right? And the music video must have been stressful…"

"I miss you," Ulquiorra dead-panned, closing his eyes, "I miss you so fucking much."

"Schif, don't make me cry," Tosh begged, hoping he could keep his tears at bay, "You know once I start I can't stop."

"I want to see you."

"I have finals this week."

"Then I'll come to you," Ulquiorra said almost forcefully, losing his cool. The sleeplessness and stress certainly wasn't helping, "I don't care if Aizen allows it or not. I'll find the first available flight out when we arrive and…"

"Schiff…"

"This isn't worth it," Ulquiorra murmured, flopping back on his bed, his ukelele forgotten. He stared up at the ceiling he had plastered with pictures, most of them of Tosh and random pics they had taken together around the city before he had had to leave, "I hate this. I can't sleep, I'm getting angry at everyone, and it's not fair…"

"Shhh, baby, you're exhausted," Tosh soothed and the words and the gentle tone of Tosh's voice was enough to make Ulquiorra take a deep breath. His muscles slowly began to relax as Tosh prattled on in a low, gentle tone, making Ulquiorra close his eyes and lose himself to the ocean of emotions.

He was tired. So fucking tired, and so heartsick he didn't know what to do with himself. But just a few, gentle words from his boyfriend and he felt like pudding.

"I love you," Ulquiorra whispered, barely conscious at this point.

"I love you more," Tosh assured, "I'll see you soon, baby. Sooner than you think."

Ulquiorra nodded in his delusional state, finally drifting after days of sleeplessness.

**XXX**

Ulquiorra woke several hours later, pissed at himself for falling asleep on the phone with Tosh.

It did nothing but depress him. He disconnected the call and checked the time: it was nearly ten o'clock in the morning. He'd slept over twelve hours.

And the bus was no longer in motion.

They'd finally made it to the next city. Ulquiorra got out of bed slowly, thankful for the rest he'd finally gotten, even if he felt like crap about it. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair several times as he moved about, descending the small metal staircase to the lower level where he found the rest of his band mates gorging themselves on pizza that had obviously just been picked up now that they had stopped.

It was obvious that Nnoitra, Halibel, and Grimmjow were nursing hangovers and had needed an early morning pizza fix. Ichigo might have been trashed too, but he was passed out on the couch, his head on Grimmjow's knee as Grimmjow continued to devour the super-cheesy pizza in front of him.

"Hey, Schif," Grimmjow said gruffly, his eyes bloodshot, "Want some? We didn't want 'ta wake 'ya up."

"No thank you," Ulquiorra answered, suddenly feeling very jealous of Grimmjow. His lover was right there, sleeping soundly on his knee, while Ulquiorra's lover was thousands of miles away in a city he couldn't reach right now. It was maddening.

"We're out of beer," Nnoitra announced, holding up an empty can and shaking it fiercely, "Go get us some'more."

"You're drunk already," Ulquiorra argued, arms folded over his chest. Usually when his band mates got drunk it amused him, but right now it was just annoying. He was no errand boy.

"I think 'ya should," Grimmjow said with a grin, "the easiest way 'ta cure a hangover is 'ta drink some'more."

"He can get it his damned self," Ulquiorra said in a dead tone, ready to climb back to the second story of the bus and will himself back into unconsciousness. He wasn't sure if he was being emotional or if he was emotionally robbed at the moment, and getting pissy with his band mates wouldn't help anyone.

"I'll go with 'ya," Grimm said with a smirk, standing up without disrupting Ichigo, "come on, the convenience store's not far."

Ulquiorra wanted to protest, but Grimmjow was his friend and he just didn't know how to say no to the man. He followed poutily, ignoring Grimmjow's cussing rants at how bright the sun was.

The walk didn't take long, both boys carrying two bags each of cheap beer, snacks, and cigarettes.

When they arrived back at the bus about a half an hour later, Ichigo was outside the bus, smiling like an idiot as the two approached.

This confused Ulquiorra greatly, "What, Ichigo?"

"Nothin'," he said, still smiling like a moron, "Thanks for grabbing all this for us, but we decided to go grab some real breakfast."

The rest of the band filed out single file, Halibel behind Starrk and a grumbling Nnoitra behind her. Szayel, who had been driving the bus and was basically their babysitter when Aizen was flying separately, looked bemused as he led the crew away. Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow's hand, pulling him towards the group that was now walking away from the bus.

"What the hell?" Ulquiorra said quietly.

"We'll be back in _2 HOURS_," Ichigo said loudly, emphasizing the last part dramatically, "You'll have the bus all to _YOURSELF_."

"Why can't I come with you guys?" Ulquiorra asked, seriously beginning to wonder if he should be crying or pissed off.

"Trust me, Schif, ya don't wanna," Grimmjow said, linking his fingers through Ichigo's, "Get 'yer ass in there before I spoil everything."

Ichigo swatted at Grimmjow with his unoccupied hand before Grimmjow led Ichigo away towards the others who had wandered off in search of pancakes or whatever it was that was needed on top of fucking pizza.

Ulquiorra, still confused, made his way back onto the bus, closing the door behind him.

"Two hours isn't enough."

Ulquiorra practically jumped out of his skin. It was usually impossible to surprise the stoic bassist, but he was so on edge lately that it could be forgiven.

His eyes landed on ice blue, and Ulquiorra was practically hurtling across the floor to smash into his shorter lover.

He couldn't form words he was so overwhelmed. Tosh was laughing, but he was gripping at Ulquiorra's shirt tightly like he would never let go.

"Tosh," Ulquiorra murmured, covering Tosh's face in affectionate kisses, unstoppable once he finally made it to Hitsugaya's mouth, "You sneaky little fuck."

Tosh was laughing again, but it was a breathless laugh due to Ulquiorra's affection, "I've been planning this for days. Ichigo told me you've been…well, not good lately, and I was so desperate to see you we managed to work it out."

"How did you get here?" Ulquiorra asked, stopping his lips but not his hands. He couldn't stop running them through the spiky white locks, down the sides of his petite face, over his shoulders, his arms, "We're nowhere near an airport."

Hitsugaya smiled, "That was the fun part. The bus swung by the airport around six o'clock this morning and loaded me on as quietly as possible. It was all Ichigo's idea, and everybody else agreed to help out."

Ulquiorra's eyes were in danger of bugging out of his head, "You've been on the bus for nearly _four hours_? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You were asleep," Toshiro reasoned, kissing Ulquiorra on the lips to placate him, "Starrk told me you haven't been sleeping, and I was worried."

"Where were you?"

"Keeping Szayel company. It gets boring driving by yourself, and he's actually a pretty nice guy. Eccentric, but not nearly as evil as he looks," Tosh said before wrapping his small hands around Ulquiorra's middle, "Please don't be mad, I was just so worried about you-"

Ulquiorra attacked Tosh's body so suddenly that Hitsugaya gasped, Ulquiorra plundering Hitsugaya's mouth instantly, pushing him back against the wall of the bus, "Mad? How could I possibly be mad? You're in my arms, however…"

"What?" Tosh looked puzzled at Ulquiorra's lingering unfinished sentence.

"However, you should be in my bed," Ulquiorra said, kissing Tosh on the lips again before disentangling himself from his lover only long enough to find a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote something down quickly before attaching it to the doorknob of the bus's side door and whisking his boyfriend to the second floor and to his bed.

Ulquiorra had hoped to kiss him silly so that he wouldn't ask any questions, but Tosh still managed to get out one more coherent question before Ulquiorra obliterated him in his lust, "What was that? What did you write down?"

"Like you said, two hours isn't nearly enough," Ulquiorra husked before biting his boyfriend's bottom lip.

Hitsugaya mewled as their erections rubbed against each other, his body shaking. They hadn't made love in over a month, and the over stimulation was positively maddening.

Clothes had never been removed so fast.

There was no foreplay, no teasing. Ulquiorra prepared Toshiro quickly, even as Tosh squirmed and gasped and turned the brightest red Ulquiorra had ever seen.

"You're rimming me!" Tosh squealed deliriously, not sure if he should be traumatized or not at the incredible yet weird sensation.

"Do you not like it?" Ulquiorra murmured, spreading Tosh's tiny but delectable cheeks further for his tongue to explore deeper.

Toshiro replied with what could only be mistaken for blinding pleasure as he shivered, the black sheets beneath them now swimming in precum, "Ummm…"

Ulquiorra was afraid he'd explode if he waited any longer. When they had more time to themselves, he would definitely, definitely need to explore this new realm of pleasure, but right now, he was too desperate to be inside.

He entered quickly, making Tosh scream.

"So tight," Ulquiorra gasped, lifting Tosh's leg higher for better access. Tosh was on his side, unsure what to do with his hands as Ulquiorra began an unforgiving pace. Ulquiorra's free hand wandered up and down Tosh's exposed chest, Tosh positively gasping for air.

Unsatisfied with this position, Ulquiorra pulled Tosh backward and into his lap, maneuvering Hitsugaya until he was straddled, all his weight pushing down on Ulquiorra's cock, making both of them moan.

"Fuck," Hitsugaya drawled, his head hanging back as he adjusted to the cock pulsing deep inside him, "Fuck, fuck fuck…"

"Mm," Ulquiorra agreed, thrusting his hips up slightly to encourage Hitsugaya to begin moving. In this position, Hitsugaya held more power and leverage, "I need you, Tosh. I need you so bad."

Encouraged, Tosh experimentally moved his hips, making Ulquiorra gasp. Hitsugaya lifted his hips, using his legs to push up from the bed before slamming back down again, making him nearly choke from the pleasure.

Ulquiorra leaned into him, his tongue drawing Tosh's out, the kiss as sloppy as their lovemaking. It was sticky, sweaty, and so, so hot.

"Ul…gnnn…Ulquiorra!" Tosh screamed only a few minutes later, his nails digging into Ulquiorra's shoulder blades as his body rippled, his cock exploding against Ulquiorra's stomach, his muscles clenching Ulquiorra deep, making him growl.

So close to the edge, Ulquiorra pushed Hitsugaya back down against the bed, slipping out of him, his own hand working his cock furiously to finish.

It wasn't hard. Staring at Hitsugaya lying before him, sweaty and quivering, his stomach smeared in his own cum and breathing heavily was enough to send Ulquiorra spiraling into nirvana. His own orgasm flashed through his body, his cock spurting thick strands of cum across Tosh's stomach and chest, a little of it even reaching his chin.

"Oh. My. God," Tosh mumbled, still trying to catch his breath as he shifted his legs to get more comfortable, his hands now running through the mess on his stomach and chest, "Ulquiorra…"

"Do you have ANY idea how gorgeous you are?" Ulquiorra hummed, leaning over Hitsugaya to kiss him lazily. It was sloppy, as good kisses usually are, and Ulquiorra couldn't help but smirk as he felt Hitsugaya's cock begin to harden against his own softening cock.

"That was…so good."

Ulquiorra loved the sound of Hitsugaya's squeal as he attacked Tosh's little peaked pink nipples with a flick of his tongue, knowing it wouldn't take much longer for his own cock to begin to harden again as well. For once, it paid off to be young.

**XXX**

Approximately two and a half hours later, the band members were full and headed back towards the bus, chatting companionably. Nnoitra reached the door first, his eye landing on the note that had been hastily rigged onto the handle. He ripped it off, studying it for a second with a serious expression before groaning out loud.

"What?" Grimmjow asked, elbowing his lanky friend.

"I need a fucking cigarette," Nnoitra complained, wandering off again while digging in one of his many pants pockets.

Ichigo took the note that Nnoitra had dropped, his face immediately reddening as Grimm and Starrk looked over his shoulder to read with him.

It was undoubtedly Ulquiorra's handwriting: _ENTER AT OWN RISK._

At that exact moment, an ungodly uke scream of ecstasy escaped from the depths of the bus.

**/chapter end.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'd like to know what you think. Sorry for those of you who aren't Ulqui/Tosh fans, but I really wanted to smut them up and I was in the mood for delirious fluff. ANYWAYS, my next project to update will be Tear It Up since it's been a wicked-long time since I've updated that. I'll try to keep the stories in rotation to keep everybody happy! Thank you for reading! And remember, I'm not dead! ...Yay?**


	28. PROMOTION!

**DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE! JUST GO COMMENT ON THE NEW STORY! ...PLEASE :)**

**The Bad News:** This is not a story update.

**The Good News:** I'm shamelessly promoting me and Racey's new joint account, **bakafriendsforever.**

**More Good News:** The page will feature our brain baby, a joint-fun-for-all GrimmIchi fic featuring a House, M.D. twist. We're calling it **Doctor Dick.**

It's all about **doctors, lab coats, smut, sex, drugs**, maybe even some **rock 'n' roll**. Actually, there will definitely be rock 'n' roll. And lots of sex. Lots of it.

Did I mention Dr. Kurosaki has an oral fixation? Or that Dr. Grimmjow House has mad swag with his bitchin' cane?

If you like me or Racey's stories, this is your chance to have your deepest desires/dreams come true.

Come on. I know you've thought about it: what would it be like for two notorious GrimmIchi pervert writers to team up and hold nothing back?

Hope you guys check it out. We're excited, we've been collaborating, and we can't wait to unleash the cracktasticness that is sure to be the Bleach universe clashing with the House universe.

It'll be focusing on GrimmIchi, but we're throwing around other couples as well. When it comes to me and Racey, we brainstorm the beJesus out of each other.

So yeah, you're welcome ;)

**CHECK IT OUT!**

p.s: My exams are over in two weeks, and I swear to the yaoi gods that I will be updating and finishing my personal stories the second the semester winds down. School, work, and the joint fic is sucking up my time, but I WILL get back to my original babies, and I have other babies I've been working on too, so it should be awesome! And** CHECK OUT RACEY'S NEW STUFF! I just got hooked on her newest 'The Cleaners'. Fucking brilliant!**


	29. A Quick Announcement

Quick Announcement

Hey guys sorry I've dropped off the face of the planet (or so it seems). I'm not even going to bullshit you, I've been working and trying to figure out how to tackle fall since I'm graduating and have to do something with my life now, but I PROMISE I'm not giving up my fan fiction writing. All stories WILL be finished in their own time, so no worries on that battlefront.

Any who, I know you're pissed that this isn't an actual update, but I wanted to get the word out because I forgot to and now it's only in a few weeks, so I wanted to give you guys a head's up in case any of you are in the area.

I'll be hosting a MATURE fanfiction panel called "Perverts Anonymous" at Mizu Con in Miami, Florida. The con is August 17-19, and the panel will be that Saturday night, the 18th. Not sure what time yet, but I'll be at the con, so if any of you guys are near me, please come say hi. I can't wait for the panel: it'll be a really good time. I'll be hosting other panels that weekend too. I know this is the internet and people are spread all over the place, even other countries, but just wanted to share. Check out the official Mizu Con website for more details about who's attending and what's going on: it was my favorite con last year, so I know it's going to be fun.

Thanks guys and I'll be updating soon! I'm going to try my hardest to get as much material out as possible before the fall semester starts as I'll be substitute teaching brats in middle school and high school on top of weaseling my way into grad school, so hold tight! I won't forget about my stories: I know they seem to take forever, but leaving reviews like "update soon" and "you haven't updated in forever are you ever going to finish" only pressures me and makes me go do other things besides write. I'm also working on original short fiction for publication, so please avoid making me grumpy.

Thanks for sticking with me so far. -TPP


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